美国国家公共电台 NPR--FDA authorizes new boosters targeting omicron

FDA authorizes¹ new boosters targeting omicron

Transcript²

The FDA is authorizing³ new booster shots to protect people against another surge of omicron infections this fall and winter.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized⁴ the first reformulated versions of COVID-19 vaccines⁵. And advisers⁶ to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meet today to decide how they should be used. NPR health correspondent Rob Stein reports.

ROB STEIN, BYLINE⁷: The new shots are the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines 2.0. They've been reprogrammed to help people fight off the super contagious⁸ omicron sub-variants⁹ driving the pandemic. Federal health officials say the new shots will boost people's fading immunity¹⁰ and help protect them against another wave of infections that could sweep the country this fall and winter. Here's Dr. Peter Marks from the FDA.

PETER MARKS: We are looking at a possible fall wave with a peak around December 1. And by giving the booster now, we will hopefully both control the current plateau that we're in, as well as address this future potential wave that looms¹¹ out there.

STEIN: John Wherry at the University of Pennsylvania thinks the new boosters will cut the chances of catching¹² and spreading the virus, protecting people against COVID and long COVID.

JOHN WHERRY: This is great. We have updated boosters that are better tailored to address the viral strains that are present currently. The bottom line is that when you get a boost with these updated boosters, you're going to gain some protection from infection. You're going to protect those around you and enhance our ability to return to a new normal.

STEIN: But some experts doubt the new shots will be much of an improvement and say there's no way to really know how well they work because they were only tested in mice, not people. John Moore is an immunologist at Weill Cornell Medicine.

JOHN MOORE: The public shouldn't think that it's going to give them some super strong shield against infection.

STEIN: But federal officials are confident the shots are safe and could provide longer lasting¹³ protection and even help fight off some new variants that might emerge. The FDA says anyone age 12 and older can get a booster when they start to become available over the Labor¹⁴ Day weekend, as long as it's been at least two months since their last shot. But some experts say people should wait at least four months or the new shots won't work. The CDC advisers meeting today will recommend exactly how to use them, including who should get the shots. Should it be anyone age 12 and older, or maybe, at least initially¹⁵, just people at high risk because they're older or have other health problems?

Rob Stein, NPR News.

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1 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。

2 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。

3 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

4 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。

5 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。

6 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

7 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。

8 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。

9 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

10 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。

11 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

14 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

15 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。