美国国家公共电台 NPR--COVID vaccines are finally available for children under 5

COVID vaccines² are finally available for children under 5

Transcript³

COVID-19 vaccines are finally rolling out for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The wait is over for millions of parents with young children. The CDC over the weekend gave the green light to a rollout of COVID vaccines for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. About a third of parents in this age group say they are eager to get the shots as soon as they can. But others aren't sure and have questions about whether their children really need to be vaccinated⁴. NPR's Allison Aubrey has been talking to pediatricians around the country. And she's with us now. Good morning.

ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE⁵: Good morning, Leila.

FADEL: So Allison, are pediatricians ready to get all these shots into lots of little arms?

AUBREY: Yes. Nearly 20 million young children are now newly eligible⁶, including babies six months and up. And pediatricians have been anticipating this, Leila. Shipments of the lower-dose vaccines made specifically for this age group have already begun. I spoke⁷ to a pediatrician in Cincinnati, Dr. Nicole Baldwin (ph), who told me her practice is ready to go. Parents who want to will be able to bring their children in just for the COVID shot.

NICOLE BALDWIN: What I anticipate is that in the beginning, there is going to be a mad rush. There are going to be a lot of parents that have been waiting. And they're going to come in right off the bat. And then, I think, it's going to dwindle⁸ pretty quickly.

AUBREY: Pediatricians will offer COVID vaccines when children come in for well visits, a time when other vaccines are given, also during other routine visits. Though, pediatricians do recognize many parents may want to wait.

FADEL: So they're ready for the eager parents. Is there harm, though...

AUBREY: That's right.

FADEL: ...In hesitant parents waiting a bit longer rather than...

AUBREY: You know - yeah.

FADEL: ...Getting children vaccinated right away?

AUBREY: It's going to take a while to get full protection from these vaccines. For the Pfizer vaccine¹, kids will be given three shots. The first two are spaced three weeks apart. A third shot is eight weeks later. I spoke to Dr. Ashish Jha. He's the Biden administration's COVID response coordinator⁹. He says vaccinating¹⁰ this age group will take time. But there is an advantage to doing it as soon as possible.

ASHISH JHA: I am very sympathetic to parents who want a little more time. But the bottom line is there's a very contagious¹¹ variant¹² out there. There's a lot of infections. And we're, like, two to three months away from school beginning again. Given how much time it takes to build up immunity¹³, that's not that far away.

AUBREY: Now, the shots will be available in a lot of places in addition to pediatricians' offices. Vaccines are also being shipped to community health centers, to children's hospitals. Some pharmacies¹⁴ - for instance, CVS - plans to administer vaccines to children 18 months and older at its MinuteClinic locations.

FADEL: OK, so lots of supply. But it does seem, looking at public opinion polls, that there are parents who aren't convinced that their young children need the vaccine.

AUBREY: Well, pediatricians tell me what they hear from some parents is, you know, oh, COVID is so mild in kids. And Dr. Nicole Baldwin's response is, yes. For most kids, it is mild. But more than 400 children under the age of 5 have died from COVID. That's according to the CDC. And Dr. Baldwin shares what she has seen in her own practice, which is some kids with lingering symptoms even after a mild infection, such as fatigue¹⁵ and other conditions.

BALDWIN: I'm seeing some kids with some chronic¹⁶ respiratory, like cough and breathing issues. I'm seeing kids with just that kind of brain fog. I know a lot of adults are describing it, too, but my adolescents - where they're just not able to focus as well. So of course, everything - you know, it's anecdotal what I'm seeing in the office. But it's a real thing.

AUBREY: Bottom line, she says the benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh¹⁷ any risks. And what's been seen in older age groups is the unvaccinated are 10 times more likely to die from COVID than the vaccinated.

FADEL: OK. So two vaccines are authorized¹⁸, Moderna and Pfizer. Well, parents have a choice?

AUBREY: Some pediatricians tell me, for now, they're only going to offer one or the other just to simplify administration.

FADEL: OK.

AUBREY: So parents should not be surprised if they don't have a choice, at least not in their pediatrician's office, right now. But the FDA says both are safe and effective. I spoke to Dr. Bill Muller. He's a pediatrician at Northwestern and Lurie Children's Hospital. He says he understands some parents may prefer the Moderna vaccine because it's only two shots. But he says that will likely change.

BILL MULLER: The expectation for most people in the field is that both vaccines will ultimately be a three-dose series as an initial series. So I don't know that I would necessarily hang my hat on two doses and you're done, because as we've experienced with older children and adults, booster doses seem to be necessary to - after about six months or so to continue to provide protection.

AUBREY: So that's the expectation, that there will be a third shot for Moderna as well.

FADEL: So now that COVID vaccines are authorized for all age groups, will schools consider requiring them just like they do vaccines for other serious ailments¹⁹?

AUBREY: That is a decision that is made at the state level and sometimes at the district level. A few states have talked about vaccine requirements for students, including Louisiana and California, but not now, not while there's still only emergency authorization²⁰. California officials announced some time ago that full approval of vaccine by the FDA was a precondition to start a regulatory process for a COVID vaccine requirement for students who are in school. Now, Dr. Muller says that there was discussion at the FDA advisory²¹ committee meeting about school mandates²².

MULLER: There was a lot of, I think, sentiment against requiring the vaccine. And so I would actually tend to sort of fall on that side. I think we should try to send the message of why it's important rather than sending a message of, you have to get it.

AUBREY: Given how polarizing mandates have become, I think that there's a recognition in many states that, you know, school requirements could create a lot of controversy²³ and that, perhaps, the better way for now, at least, as Dr. Muller says, is to educate people about the benefits.

FADEL: OK. NPR's Allison Aubrey. Thanks, Allison.

AUBREY: Thank you, Leila.

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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 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 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？

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 dwindle   

v.逐渐变小（或减少）

参考例句：

• The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。

9 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

10 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。

11 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

12 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

13 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。

14 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

15 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

16 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。

17 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

18 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

19 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

20 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

21 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。

22 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

23 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。