VOA慢速英语2021--美国机构质疑阿斯利康新冠疫苗有效性数据

A United States health agency said Tuesday that drug-maker¹ AstraZeneca might have included "outdated² information" on its latest U.S. vaccine³ test. The action again raised questions about the approval of the company's COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.

The unusual statement was released by the National Institute of Allergy⁴ and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) early on Tuesday. The health agency said independent experts "expressed concern that AstraZeneca might have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data."

Earlier on Monday, the British-Swiss drug maker announced that its vaccine was 79 percent effective against COVID-19. The company added its shot was 100 percent effective against severe disease and hospitalization.

Following the U.S. health agency's statement, AstraZeneca said Tuesday that those numbers included information from its U.S. drug trial up to February 17. The company said it will provide an update within 48 hours to the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB).

The safety board is a committee of independent scientists organized by the NIAID to study drug trials and their safety in the U.S. The NIAID is headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci who was recently named "chief medical advisor⁵" by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Fauci told Statnews, "We felt we could not remain silent." He added: "In my mind, it's an unforced error by the company."

Dr. Paul Hunter is a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia. He told the Associated Press, "I doubt it was (U.S. officials') intention to deliberately⁶ undermine trust in the AstraZeneca vaccine." Hunter added, "But this will likely cause more vaccine hesitancy."

Trouble from the start

Early in the pandemic, the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed with Britain's University of Oxford⁷, was considered a leading candidate against the coronavirus. It costs much less than other vaccines⁸. It also does not require extreme cold storage, making it easier to use in countries with limited resources.

Volunteers in the early study from Britain, Brazil and South Africa produced antibodies to protect against the virus with no serious side effects. The company then expanded the drug trials to the United States. It also signed agreements to provide the vaccine at cost to nations around the world, including the United Nations COVAX program, to help poor countries.

Last year, the company temporarily suspended the trials in September after a volunteer in Britain developed inflammation in her spine⁹. It was later found to be unrelated to the vaccine but led to a long delay in the United States.

In November, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford reported unclear results from two different vaccine treatments in the British drug trial. Some volunteers received a half dose and some received a full dose. AstraZeneca later reported that it was a result of manufacturing problems.

The action left many to question whether the shot was safe and effective. John Moore is a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. He told Reuters at the time, "When you get corporate¹⁰ and academic scientists saying different things, it doesn't give you the impression of confidence in what they're doing."

Last week, more than 12 countries, mostly in Europe, stopped using the vaccine after reports it was linked to blood system blockages¹¹, known as blood clots¹². On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency said its investigation¹³ found the vaccine did not raise the risk of blood clots, other than very rare cases.

AstraZeneca said Monday it would provide information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the coming weeks to apply for emergency use permission.

Jimmy Whitworth is a professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene¹⁴ and Tropical Medicine. He told the Associated Press, "If the U.S. regulator looks at this data and authorizes¹⁶ AstraZeneca, that will carry a lot of weight."

Words in This Story

efficacy –n. the power to produce the desired result or effect

intention –n. the thing that you plan to do; the goal or aim of some action

deliberately –adv. done in a way that is meant or planned

hesitancy –n. slow to act or speak especially because of being unsure

inflammation –n. a condition when part of the body becomes red, bigger and more sensitive

dose –n. the amount of a medicine or vaccine that is taken at one time

impression –n. the effect or influence that something or someone has on a person's thoughts or feelings

confidence –n. a feeling of being sure that something is true or will happen in an expected way

authorize¹⁵ –v. to give legal or official approval

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

3 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。

4 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

7 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

8 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。

9 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

10 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

11 blockages   

n.堵塞物( blockage的名词复数 )；堵塞，阻塞

参考例句：

• The storms could increase the risks posed by river blockages. 暴风雨会增加因河道堵塞所造成的危险。 来自互联网
• An angiogram shows the location and severity of blockages in blood vessels. 冠状动脉造影能够显示血管内的阻塞位置以及阻塞的严重程度。 来自互联网

12 clots   

n.凝块( clot的名词复数 )；血块；蠢人；傻瓜v.凝固( clot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• When you cut yourself, blood clots and forms a scab. 你割破了，血会凝固、结痂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Milk clots when it turns sour. 奶变酸就凝块。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

15 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

16 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。