VOA慢速英语2021--非洲对新冠疫苗的不信任延缓了预防工作

Some Africans are avoiding COVID-19 vaccines² because they are concerned about safety.

This has worried international public health officials as some countries have begun to destroy doses that expired before they could be used.

Malawi and South Sudan in recent days have said they will destroy some of their doses because they had expired.

Africa's 1.3 billion people represent 16 percent of the world's population. But, the World Health Organization reports that Africa has received less than 2 percent of the world's COVID-19 vaccine¹ doses.

African countries have confirmed more than 4.5 million COVID-19 cases, including 120,000 deaths. That is a very small percentage of the world's deaths.

Some experts, however, worry that Africa's 54 nations will suffer in the long term if it takes longer than expected to get to 70 percent immunity³. That is the number needed to stop the uncontrolled spread of the virus. Immunity can be gotten through vaccination⁴ or past infection.

African nations are hoping to vaccinate⁵ up to 60 percent of their people by the end of 2022.

That target will require about 1.5 billion vaccine doses for Africa if the two-injection AstraZeneca vaccine continues to be widely used. It is the main vaccine used by the COVAX program for developing countries.

Safety concerns about that vaccine have left some Africans worried. Untrue vaccination-related stories have spread widely on social media. They might be the result of a common lack of trust in government and officials.

Uganda's health minister was forced to deal with untrue stories that she had faked her vaccination. "Please stop spreading fake news!" she wrote on Twitter, along with a photo of her receiving the injection.

Other untrue stories include a claim that the vaccine can cause infertility⁶ or that it was created too quickly to be real.

"The world has failed to find a vaccine for AIDS all these years, but they quickly found a vaccine for COVID? I am not going to go for that vaccine," said Richard Bbale. He is an electrician in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

The World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have urged African governments to continue giving out the AstraZeneca vaccine. They say people in African countries should not be concerned about reports of rare blood clots⁸ in a few people who have gotten the vaccine.

"Anything you take has a risk. Any medication," Africa CDC director John Nkengasong said last week. "That's the way we should be looking at these vaccines," he added.

The Africa CDC said recently that it had received information from the Serum⁹ Institute of India that vaccines set to expire on April 13 could be good for another three months.

Africa nations "don't have a choice," Nkengasong said, urging Malawi not to destroy 16,000 AstraZeneca doses that expired earlier in April.

It is unclear if Malawi will accept the advice.

The country has administered less than 50 percent of more than 500,000 doses it received from the COVAX program.

An additional 1.26 million doses expected from COVAX at the end of May could go unused if people continue to avoid the vaccine, said Shouts Simeza. He is president of the National Organization of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi. He said making the vaccine required by law may solve the problem.

In an effort to reach more people, Malawi has just made the vaccine available to anyone over 18.

Uganda's ministry¹⁰ of health may soon take steps to increase vaccination. Uganda has received 964,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the only one available in the country. Only 230,000 doses have been used since March 10.

The government is now asking famous television actors and athletes to get their vaccinations¹¹ publicly to show its safety.

Acceptance "is gradually improving," a spokesperson said.

The local Daily Monitor newspaper recently reported that more than 280,000 doses will likely expire by July. That is because the current rate of vaccinations is about 6,000 shots each day.

Words in This Story

expire – v. to no longer be usable or good after a period of time

dose – n. the amount of a medicine, drug or vitamin this is taken at one time

immunity – adj. the power to keep yourself from being affected¹² by a disease

clot⁷ – n. (medical) a mass of dried blood that stops blood from flowing through blood vessels

1 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。

2 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

3 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

4 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

5 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

6 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

7 clot   

n.凝块；v.使凝成块

参考例句：

• Platelets are one of the components required to make blood clot.血小板是血液凝固的必须成分之一。
• The patient's blood refused to clot.病人的血液无法凝结。

8 clots   

n.凝块( clot的名词复数 )；血块；蠢人；傻瓜v.凝固( clot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• When you cut yourself, blood clots and forms a scab. 你割破了，血会凝固、结痂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Milk clots when it turns sour. 奶变酸就凝块。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 serum   

n.浆液，血清，乳浆

参考例句：

• The serum is available to the general public.一般公众均可获得血清。
• Untreated serum contains a set of 11 proteins called complement.未经处理的血清含有一组蛋白质，共11种，称为补体。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。