2007年VOA标准英语-Scientists Face Obstacles in Vaccine Developmen

By Ernest Leong
Washington
19 March 2007
 
watch Vaccine¹ report

Some U.S. state lawmakers are fighting a mandate³ requiring certain vaccinations⁵ for children, saying it encourages undesirable⁶ behavior.  Getting vaccinated⁷ has become a more complicated process since the 18th century, when English scientist Edward Jenner first discovered a vaccine for smallpox⁸.  VOA's Ernest Leong reports.

Cervical cancer vaccine

For some children, visiting the doctor can be a traumatic event, especially if it involves getting vaccinated.  Some parents say vaccination⁴ is a necessary step to prevent serious illness.

But in the U.S. southern states of Florida and Texas, some politicians and parents say preteen girls should not be required to receive Gardasil, a new vaccine against cervical cancer.

One parent, Kishiam Lindsay, thinks the vaccine is a good idea. "I think it's a good vaccine, but I don't think it should be forced upon a child, either."

Gardasil protects against a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.  Those who oppose mandatory⁹ vaccination say young girls who receive the injection might be encouraged to have sex at an early age.

School board member Stephanie Kraft says the pharmaceutical¹⁰ company Merck is issuing the vaccine to make a quick profit.  "Merck has got this on a fast track, because they stand to make a lot of money."

Despite the high price tag for new vaccines¹¹ -- Gardasil would cost about $360 per child -- some medical professionals, like Dr. Peter Hotez of George Washington University, say vaccine manufacture is not profitable. "While the market [for vaccines] is very large, the commercial market is very small."

Dr. Hotez says demand for vaccines is great in developing countries, where there is a higher risk of contracting disease. "There's a particularly acute need for vaccines for developing countries, because those regions of the world tend to have a much higher disease burden, resulting from infectious diseases."

Hotez says vaccine development is an expensive process for drug manufacturers, and usually offers only modest financial returns.  He says it would be much more profitable to find the next "blockbuster" drug -- something like Lipitor, the cholesterol-lowering drug that has earned many billions of dollars [for its manufacturer, Pfizer].

As a result, the number of vaccine manufacturers is declining.

"So, in fact, it turns out there are only approximately five large vaccine manufacturers worldwide, as compared to maybe 20 two decades ago," Hotez says.

To date, the greatest resource for vaccine research and development is in the philanthropic sector¹² -- primarily the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"This is why the funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is so critical.  Because it's allowed us to actually develop a vaccine for the world's poor by creating the equivalent of a nonprofit company" said Hotez.

Part of the problem is the time it takes to develop a new vaccine -- sometimes decades, says Arthur Allen, author of a best-selling book on the history of vaccines. "The scientists who work on this [vaccines] are obsessive¹³ types, who maybe work 20 years trying to perfect a vaccine."

Vaccines are actually weakened or killed versions of a virus.  Introducing the virus into the human body in a weakened form enables a person to develop resistance to it.

For this reason, Allen says vaccine development carries with it an element of risk. "One vaccine maker² said he never felt safe until his vaccine had been tested on three million children.  It's an awesome¹⁴ responsibility, to give vaccines to young children."

An awesome responsibility that is both necessary and controversial, as some scientists continue to battle illness with vaccines.

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 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

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 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》

6 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

7 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？

8 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

9 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

10 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

11 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。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

13 obsessive   

adj. 着迷的, 强迫性的, 分神的

参考例句：

• Some people are obsessive about cleanliness.有些人有洁癖。
• He's becoming more and more obsessive about punctuality.他对守时要求越来越过分了。

14 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.