VOA标准英语2012--Pertussis Rises, Research Focuses on Vaccine
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(十二月)
Pertussis Rises, Research Focuses on Vaccine 1
Pertussis is one of the leading causes of unnecessary infant and child deaths worldwide. The deaths could largely be prevented with a vaccine. Most of the cases of pertussis occur in developing countries, but the U.S. has seen an increase in recent years.
Pertussis often starts with cold-like symptoms, but Lara Misegades at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says that's where the similarities end. She led a study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“Pertussis is a very contagious 2 respiratory disease, and it’s also known as whooping 3 cough. It’s caused by a bacteria and it can cause violent coughing fits that last for a very long time, up to 10 weeks or more," she said.
Colds are caused by viruses. Like a cold, pertussis can affect anyone but can be life-threatening for infants, young children and the elderly.
Globally, up to 50 million people get pertussis each year and it causes 300,000 deaths. Ninety percent of the cases are in developing countries. A vaccine can prevent the disease.
The vaccine is given in a series of four shots during infancy 4 and another just before a child starts school. Because of the increase in cases, the researchers studied vaccine histories to see if those who got the disease had completed the five dose series.
"Children with pertussis were less likely to have received the childhood pertussis vaccine series compared to children who did not have pertussis," said Misegades.
The researchers also found that protection from immunization declines over time.
Dr. Gregory Poland at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota says the vaccine is highly effective at first.
"In year one, after getting the vaccine, the efficacy is nearly 100 percent, which is why I say it is an excellent short-term vaccine. By year five, you’re down to an efficacy of about 30 percent," he said.
Dr. Poland says pertussis is mistakenly called a childhood disease. It's really a disease that adults and teenagers give to children.
Doctors recommend that pregnant women get a booster vaccine so they don't get sick and so their newborns have some protection. Doctors also recommend that adults who spend a lot of time with young children get periodic boosters.
"It really is an all-round education effort to get people to realize that anyone is susceptible 5 to pertussis, everyone needs to get a vaccine or booster against pertussis, and anyone who has a nagging 6, ongoing 7 cough that lasts and lasts and lasts, ought to see their physician with the thought of pertussis," he said.
The goal is to develop a better vaccine, but meantime people can take basic steps, such as washing hands often and getting vaccinated 8.
- The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
- She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。
- It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
- He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。
- Whooping cough is very prevalent just now. 百日咳正在广泛流行。
- Have you had your child vaccinated against whooping cough? 你给你的孩子打过百日咳疫苗了吗？
- He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
- Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。
- Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
- We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。
- Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
- I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
- The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。
- I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
- Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？