Efforts to Stop Measles

By Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: October 15, 2003

This is Phoebe Zimmermann with the VOA Special English Health Report.
International health leaders meet in Cape¹ Town, South Africa, this week to discuss efforts to reduce deaths from 1)measles². The World Health Organization organized the special meeting.
Health experts estimate that each year nearly seven-hundred-fifty-thousand children die from the disease. More than half are in Africa. The World Health Organization says measles is the leading cause of preventable death among children. It says up to forty-million people a year get measles. a Measles is highly 2)infectious. The 3)virus can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Measles produces a red rash on the skin and high body temperature for several days. It can cause a cough, runny nose, and red, watery³ eyes. But measles can also cause serious health problems such as blindness, 4)pneumonia⁴ and brain infection.
Last year, at its Special Session on Children, the United Nations set a goal to reduce deaths from measles. The goal is a fifty percent reduction from the levels in nineteen-ninety-nine. The aim is to reach this goal in two-thousand-five. Another goal is a two-thirds reduction in the number of children under five years of age who die of measles. That goal is to be met by two-thousand-fifteen.
One effort to stop the spread of measles is taking place this week in 5)Uganda. The United Nations Children's Fund is involved in a national 6)vaccination⁵ campaign through October nineteenth. Officials expect to give the measles vaccine⁶ to more than twelve-million children.
Earlier campaigns were aimed at children age five and younger. But the New Vision newspaper in Uganda says older children have started to 7)suffer from measles. So it says children up to fifteen will be vaccinated⁷ in this campaign.
The W-H-O says more children around the world need to get vaccinated against measles in order to protect populations. Children in developing nations may not get the vaccine because of a lack of supplies. But some parents in richer nations refuse the vaccine for their children.
Several years ago, a London doctor suggested a possible link between the vaccine and the mental disorder⁸ 8)autism. Most experts dispute any connection. Still, doctors in Britain are concerned because vaccination rates there are down and cases of measles are up.
This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. This is Phoebe Zimmermann.

注释：
1) measles [5mi:zlz] n.（医）麻疹, 风疹
2) infectious [in5fekFEs] adj.有传染性的, 易传染的
3) virus [5vaiErEs] n.（微）病毒
4) pneumonia [nju(:)5mEunjE] n.（医） 肺炎
5) Uganda [ju(:)5^AndE] n.（国名）乌干达(东非国家)
6) vaccination [7vAksi5neiFEn] n.（医）接种疫苗, 种痘, 牛痘疤
7) suffer from 　v.忍受, 遭受
8) autism [5C:tizEm] n.（心）孤独症

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 measles   

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。

3 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

4 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

5 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。

6 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。

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？

8 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。