VOA慢速英语2009年-Health Report - Pregnant Women at Greater

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

The H1N1 flu virus that has spread around the world is especially risky¹ for pregnant women. If they become infected, especially after the first three months of pregnancy², they can get very sick or even die. Cases of fetal death have also been reported.
　
File photo of a pregnant woman receiving a seasonal³ flu shot in Dallas, Texas

Pregnant women face an increased risk even during outbreaks of seasonal influenza⁴. But the new H1N1 flu has been affecting a younger age group than seasonal flu epidemics⁵.

The W.H.O. says pregnant women should take the antiviral drug Tamiflu as soon as possible after they show signs of illness. The drug is also called oseltamivir.

The agency says treatment should begin immediately and not wait for the results of laboratory tests. The effect are greatest when given within forty-eight hours. But experts say the medicine could still do some good even if there is a delay.

Since April, more than one thousand deaths have been reported from the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu. But so far the virus has not shown itself to be more severe than seasonal flu.

The World Health Organization has predicted that the H1N1 virus will infect at least two billion people in the next two years. Agency chief Margaret Chan has expressed concern there is not a good process in place to produce enough vaccine⁶ against the virus.

In the United States, there are now guidelines for the use of H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. An advisory⁷ committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are five groups that should be vaccinated⁸ first.

These include pregnant women and people who live with or care for children younger than six months. They also include workers in health care and emergency services, and people between six months and twenty-four years of age.

The fifth group on the list is people twenty-five to sixty-four with chronic⁹ health problems.

If vaccine supplies are limited, then the committee says two groups of children should be vaccinated before other children. One group is those who are six months to four years old. The other is those five to eighteen with chronic medical conditions.

In April, after the first cases in the United States, officials told schools to close at the first sign of an H1N1 outbreak. The government later eased those warnings. Since then officials have been reported working on final guidelines for when schools should close.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver¹⁰. For more health news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

2 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

3 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

4 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

5 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。

6 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• 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。

7 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

8 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• 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？

9 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

10 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。