VOA标准英语2009年-Talk of Swine Flu Parties Goes Viral

Doctors warn intentional¹ infection not a good idea

Alex Villarreal | Washington, DC 17 December 2009

 
CDC says the best step to protection is vaccination²

 

Many Americans are doing all they can to avoid the H1N1 virus. But talk in the news and on the Internet suggests some people might actually be seeking exposure at get-togethers dubbed³ "swine flu parties." And U.S. health authorities are taking those reports seriously.

The H1N1 flu virus has infected hundreds of thousands of people, raising fears around the world.

With so much concern over the swine flu, it is hard to believe anyone would want to get it on purpose. But enter "swine flu parties" in an Internet search, and you will see, the idea is out there.

On flu and parenting Web sites, the parties are being debated as a way to gain immunity⁴ to more severe versions of the virus that might emerge later. But doctors say: stay away.

"We have no confirmation⁵ that anyone has actually done this, but there is certainly lots of chatter⁶ on the Internet, and so we know that people are asking these questions," Dr. Stephen Ostroff stated. "It just is not a good idea."

Swine flu parties are the latest version of chickenpox parties, where parents encourage their kids to share lollipops⁷, spoons or whistles to spread the disease and get immunity.

One parent turned to the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube for his pox party invitation.

There also are a number of Internet groups for parents hoping to locate pox parties, often to avoid vaccinating⁸ their children. Some believe vaccines¹⁰ can cause serious health problems.

But Washington area resident Peggy Fox, mother of two, says applying pox party logic¹¹ to the swine flu is crazy.  "You do not know how bad that is going to be. There have been children who have died from the swine flu," she said.   

Fox co-manages the blog DC Moms Like Me.  When a post on the topic went up on the site, Fox says other moms had a similar reaction. "I think most moms are level-headed and realize that that is not a good thing to do. But just the fact that the idea came up, that we know that there are people out there thinking about this, seemed to be something that people want to talk about," she said.

Some people are even trying to make money on the idea. If you log on to Zazzle, you can order a t-shirt, mug, even a tie promoting swine flu parties and their offer of a free H1N1 virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has strongly opposed the parties.

CDC spokesman Christopher Cox says though the idea is well-intentioned, it is not a good way to protect against serious illness. "Influenza¹² is unpredictable,” he said. “There is no way to determine how it is going to react among any one person or group of people, so for those reasons, people cannot really account for what is going to happen if they go into a situation with the intention of getting H1N1."

Cox says the best step to protection is vaccination.      

Fox had her family get the vaccine⁹ and advises other moms to do the same. She says protecting your child from the flu is already hard enough.  "It is everywhere. So you do not need to have a party to get the swine flu. Just go to school," she said.

 

1 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

2 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。

3 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

6 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

7 lollipops   

n.棒糖，棒棒糖( lollipop的名词复数 )；（用交通指挥牌让车辆暂停以便儿童安全通过马路的）交通纠察

参考例句：

• I bought lollipops and a toot-toot bugle. I started for home. 我给她买了棒棒糖，一吹就呜的打响的小喇叭。我就往回走。 来自互联网
• Our company specialize marshmallows, lollipops, bubble gums, chocolates and toys with candy. 本公司主要出口棉花糖、棒棒糖、泡泡糖、巧克力、儿童玩具等。 来自互联网

8 vaccinating   

给…接种疫苗( vaccinate的现在分词 )； 注射疫苗，接种疫苗

参考例句：

• At first blush, vaccinating the wolves against rabies seems a simple solution. 乍一看来，为狼群注射防狂犬病疫苗是一种简单的办法。
• Also vaccinating children against misers (measles) has saved many lives. 还有，给儿童进行疫苗接种防止麻疹也挽救了许多生命。

9 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。

10 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。

11 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

12 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。