密歇根新闻广播 幼女因咳嗽丧生 母亲将毕生献给医疗事业

Baby Francesca was just 12 weeks old when she came down with a cough. Nine days later, she died of pertussis, better known as whooping¹ cough.

Now, her mother, Veronica McNally, has made it her life's work to teach others why she believes vaccination² is so important. She started the Franny Strong Foundation in her daughter's honor. And as of today, she's begun a new campaign called "I Vaccinate³."

McNally and Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, joined Stateside to talk about why vaccination is so important.

Currently, Michigan ranks 43rd in the nation when it comes to immunization coverage⁴ for preschoolers. Just 54% of preschoolers are up-to-date on their vaccines⁵ (while 29% of teenagers are up-to-date).

As a result, Michigan has seen a rise in serious diseases, which had previously⁶ been held at bay or, in some cases, eradicated⁷. We're talking about mumps⁸, whooping cough and Hepatitis A.

So why are Michigan's numbers so low? Dr. Wells says the answer isn't simple.

She says experts and stakeholders met last year to figure out why so many kids aren't getting vaccinated⁹. Poor access to health care was part of the answer, she says, as was the fact that some children likely start their vaccines without finishing the whole series.

"It's probably a bit more complicated than just simply saying it's an anti-vaccine movement," Dr. Wells said.

McNally recognizes many parents who opt¹⁰ out of vaccinations¹¹ are trying to do the right thing for their children. But the information many of them receive often comes from unreliable sources.

"We need to address the conversations surrounding vaccines and get answers for the parents to their questions," McNally said.

The website IVaccinate.org, part of the campaign launched today, aims to provide those answers.

Still, McNally hopes to communicate two main points:

There is consensus¹² within the medical community that vaccines are safe and effective;

Getting children vaccinated is the best thing parents can do to protect their children from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Dr. Wells says when parents make the decision not to vaccinate a child, it's not just that kid they put at risk. They put the entire community at risk.

1 whooping   

发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的

参考例句：

• Whooping cough is very prevalent just now. 百日咳正在广泛流行。
• Have you had your child vaccinated against whooping cough? 你给你的孩子打过百日咳疫苗了吗？

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 vaccinate   

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。

4 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

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 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 eradicated   

画着根的

参考例句：

• Polio has been virtually eradicated in Brazil. 在巴西脊髓灰质炎实际上已经根除。
• The disease has been eradicated from the world. 这种疾病已在全世界得到根除。

8 mumps   

n.腮腺炎

参考例句：

• Sarah got mumps from her brother.萨拉的弟弟患腮腺炎，传染给她了。
• I was told not go near Charles. He is sickening for mumps.别人告诉我不要走近查尔斯， 他染上了流行性腮腺炎。

9 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？

10 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

11 vaccinations   

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》

12 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？