VOA标准英语2010年-Vaccinating Children First Might Prote

A new study suggests vaccinating¹ children against disease first could help protect the surrounding community.

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Scientists have long believed that immunizing some members of a community against a disease would protect the entire community and that this so-called 'herd² immunity³' could be used to control influenza⁴ outbreaks. But, until recently, researchers had never tested the theory in a controlled, randomized study.

So, Dr. Mark Loeb and his colleagues at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, conducted a vaccine⁵ trial in 49 isolated⁶ rural communities in western Canada. They vaccinated⁷ children from three to 15 years old in half of the communities. In the others, the youngsters did not get the influenza vaccine.

"This type of study was to show that by immunizing children - who may not be at the highest for complications but can mount a very good response to the vaccine - we could stop the spread of the virus, and in doing so, protect people who, if they got infected, would be at high risk for those complications," says Loeb.

A dramatic effect

For six months, nurses checked in weekly with the participants to determine if anyone had come down with the flu. Many people had, but in the communities where children had been vaccinated, there were less than half as many cases of influenza.

"We found that immunizing kids with influenza vaccine had about a 60 percent effectiveness at protection," Loeb reports. "In other words, the herd immunity that protected the other residents of those communities was almost as great as if they themselves had been vaccinated."

Loeb says the study's findings suggest that immunizing healthy children and adolescents could be an efficient way to help prevent the spread of influenza.

Those results have important implications for disease control, especially if there is only a limited supply of vaccine. "If you had one group to immunize, you should at least consider these groups because it could just stop influenza in its tracks," Loeb says.

The study appears in the March 10 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association."
 

1 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。

2 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

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 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 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。

6 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

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？