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美国国家公共电台 NPR--It's not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults

时间:2023-10-20 03:05来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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It's not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults

Transcript1

The U.S. has come a long way from two years ago when COVID-19 vaccines3 first became available and people were cutting the line to get their shots.

Now, many have shrugged4 off the need to get updated boosters. Only 15% of people eligible5 for the COVID booster shot that targets the omicron variant6 have gotten it — a rate that is even lower than the perennially7 disappointing rates for flu vaccine2 uptake. Vaccine fatigue8 seems to have spread to other shots, too — including those to prevent measles9 and polio — according to a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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"That is very concerning," says Claire Hannan, who helps immunization officials from all 50 states run vaccination10 programs as the executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers.

As the country trudges11 towards the end of its third pandemic year, NPR talked to experts on immunization, health communication and public health, to learn how we should all be thinking about COVID vaccines now.

1. Realize that vaccines are still a good tool

Two years ago, a lot of questions about the new COVID vaccines had no answers, but now, we have answers. Do we need more than two shots? Yep. Will protection be long lasting13? Nope, antibodies wane14 over time. Is reinfection after a bout12 of COVID and a full course of vaccination possible? Yep, it's become more likely than when the pandemic first began, as the virus continues to evolve and produce variants15 that can partially16 get around the vaccine.

Those answers have been disappointing and may have dented17 demand for the latest round of COVID boosters. But the CDC advises that adults and most children get the booster. And vaccination remains18 an especially important tool, experts say, to protect those most at risk of a severe COVID infection — people over 65 and those with underlying19 health conditions.

"It's just really critical that [people] — especially those at high risk — understand the value of getting vaccinated21 and making sure they stay up to date on their boosters," Hannan says.

Vaccines, good treatments and the fact that so many people have been infected, all help keep people out of the hospital. But every week in America, more than 2,500 people continue to die of COVID.

"Personally, I am not a fan of needless suffering and death," says Dr. Kelly Moore, CEO of Immunize.org, which does vaccination education and advocacy. A recent analysis from the Commonwealth22 Fund found that the vaccination campaign prevented more than 18 million hospitalizations and 3 million deaths in the U.S., and saved the country more than $1 trillion.

"We've got an effective tool that can prevent a great deal of suffering, hospitalization and deaths, and we should still be using it," Moore says.

2. Target vaccines to where they count most

One answer for dealing23 with vaccine fatigue is to target efforts to the people who are at highest risk, including seniors. Only 35% of people over age 65 have gotten an updated booster. Three quarters of COVID deaths in the U.S. are among people in this age group.

Hannan of the Association of Immunization Managers says when vaccines first came out, there was a huge effort to go into nursing homes and get everyone vaccinated. That doesn't work anymore, she says, not just because of low demand and lack of infrastructure24, but because everybody is on a different schedule in terms of when they need a booster. "You go there one day and you might vaccinate20 a handful of people," she says.

Now, the public health approach is changing. For instance, Hannan says, "the CDC is doing an initiative to put a number of single-dose vials in long-term care facilities that have the right storage equipment." That way, even if one resident of the facility is ready for a booster, staff at the nursing home could get a single dose out of the pharmacy-grade fridge and vaccinate that person on the spot.

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With the winter holidays upon us and people gathering25 with loved ones, Sandra Lindsay says to think about Grandma. Lindsay was the first person in the U.S. to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020 as a critical care nurse, and now she's vice26 president of public health advocacy at Northwell Health in New York. "We all have a responsibility to our loved ones," she says. "If you are sick, stay home. Grandma — take her to get vaccinated as a Christmas gift."

3. Listen more carefully to concerns

Part of the reason people are no longer jumping at the chance to get vaccinated is that they don't think COVID-19 is a big risk anymore, says Cynthia Baur, who directs the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy at the University of Maryland.

"People have to believe they need it and they have to believe that whatever's going to happen is going to be bad enough that they should take that action," she says. At this point, they don't — restaurants are open, people are going out and gathering and shopping, and vaccination is no longer a requirement to get back to normal life like it once was in many places.

Baur has worked with community health workers who are out in Maryland pounding the pavement, talking to people about vaccination, and it's slow going. "I don't think that we or anybody else doing this work has found any particular message or fact or phrase that is kind of really changing hearts and minds," Baur says.

The mass vaccination system that popped up during the pandemic isn't how most adults get vaccinated, she points out. So as those systems close down, it may be time to put the focus back on health care providers, like doctors, who can have a relationship with patients and really hear their concerns and answer their questions.

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"Providers are still the number one source for vaccine recommendations," she says. "If providers are recommending vaccines, at least it's opening the door to a conversation and the likelihood that somebody might think a little bit more carefully about it."

4. Make vaccinations27 less scary

There are a lot of ways to combat vaccine hesitancy, including focusing on misinformation or politicization or trust in public health. "I decided28 to take an angle that's a little bit different, which is to look at how to improve the vaccination experience," says Moore of Immunize.org.

About a quarter of adults are afraid of needles, she points out. "How many of those people who are refusing to come in for vaccination are saying, I don't want it, I don't have time or I don't think it works? For how many of them is that really just an excuse?"

She says the Autism Society for America has been pioneering strategies to help families and kids with autism get vaccinated, since it can be especially stressful and upsetting for people with autism. They have some simple, low-cost ideas like putting on headphones, listening to your favorite music, or using a little plastic "shot blocker" to make the shot hurt less.

I recently tried a variation of this when I took my 7-year-old daughter, Noa, to get her bivalent booster. (Fear of needles among kids is even higher than among adults — more like 2 in 3.) I bought an over-the-counter lidocaine patch (marketed for back pain) at the drugstore and cut it to fit her bicep. I stuck it on her upper arm about 30 minutes before we left. Then I drew an outline on her skin around the patch, so the immunizer could give her the shot in that area. Noa said the shot didn't hurt — she was thrilled and proud that she hadn't cried. And she asked if we could use it for every shot from now on.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 transcript JgpzUp     
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。
2 vaccine Ki1wv     
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。
3 vaccines c9bb57973a82c1e95c7cd0f4988a1ded     
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。
4 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 eligible Cq6xL     
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。
6 variant GfuzRt     
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。
7 perennially rMUxd     
adv.经常出现地;长期地;持久地;永久地
参考例句:
  • He perennially does business abroad. 他常年在国外做生意。 来自辞典例句
  • We want to know what is perennially new about the world. 我们想知道世上什么东西永远是新的。 来自互联网
8 fatigue PhVzV     
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。
9 measles Bw8y9     
n.麻疹,风疹,包虫病,痧子
参考例句:
  • The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
  • The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。
10 vaccination bKGzM     
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。
11 trudges 5a4935627dc4006e86ed723c446d7ad3     
n.跋涉,长途疲劳的步行( trudge的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She trudges, schlepps, trains, drags, trascines her load. 她吃力地跋涉,schlepps、trains、drags、trascines重荷。 来自互联网
  • Matvey, who has not tasted food or drink all day, trudges up the hill again. 玛特威从一大早起就什么也没吃过,什么也没喝过,这时候却又爬上坡去。 来自互联网
12 bout Asbzz     
n.侵袭,发作;一次(阵,回);拳击等比赛
参考例句:
  • I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
  • That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。
13 lasting IpCz02     
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 wane bpRyR     
n.衰微,亏缺,变弱;v.变小,亏缺,呈下弦
参考例句:
  • The moon is on the wane.月亮渐亏。
  • Her enthusiasm for him was beginning to wane.她对他的热情在开始减退。
15 variants 796e0e5ff8114b13b2e23cde9d3c6904     
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
16 partially yL7xm     
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲
参考例句:
  • The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
  • The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静,宵禁部分解除。
17 dented dented     
v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 );损害;伤害;挫伤(信心、名誉等)
参考例句:
  • The back of the car was badly dented in the collision. 汽车尾部被撞后严重凹陷。
  • I'm afraid I've dented the car. 恐怕我把车子撞瘪了一些。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
19 underlying 5fyz8c     
adj.在下面的,含蓄的,潜在的
参考例句:
  • The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
  • This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。
20 vaccinate Iikww     
vt.给…接种疫苗;种牛痘
参考例句:
  • Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样,当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
  • Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。
21 vaccinated 8f16717462e6e6db3389d0f736409983     
[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?
22 commonwealth XXzyp     
n.共和国,联邦,共同体
参考例句:
  • He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
  • Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。
23 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
24 infrastructure UbBz5     
n.下部构造,下部组织,基础结构,基础设施
参考例句:
  • We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
  • We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设,发展各类群众文化。
25 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
26 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
27 vaccinations ed61d339e2970fa63aee4b5ce757cc44     
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》
28 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
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