Moderna will ask the FDA to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 6

Moderna will ask the FDA to authorize¹ its COVID-19 vaccine² for children under 6

　　Transcript³

　　Moderna says its low-dose pediatric vaccine appears to be safe and provide protection for kids ages 6 months to 6 years, and it is asking the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization⁴.

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　Many parents of young children have been waiting for this - Moderna says the company's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for younger kids. The company plans to ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization. We've called NPR health correspondent Rob Stein, who's been covering this story. Rob, good morning.

　　ROB STEIN, BYLINE⁵: Morning, Steve.

　　INSKEEP: Wow. What have parents of smaller kids - or younger kids, I should say - been going through?

　　STEIN: Yeah, it's been rough for a lot of them, you know, because until now, only kids ages 5 and older have been eligible⁶ to get vaccinated⁸, you know, with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but a low-dose version of that vaccine for these younger kids, it didn't work, so lots of parents of those younger kids have been feeling left behind and anxious, you know, especially with everyone taking off their masks these days. But now Moderna says a low-dose version of its vaccine looks like it would protect those kids, and so the company will ask the FDA to authorize it within weeks. But I should stress that all we have right now is a news release from Moderna. So there are still lots of questions.

　　INSKEEP: Thanks for stressing that. But at least based on what Moderna has said, what evidence do they have for success?

　　STEIN: Well, the company tested two doses of a version of this vaccine that contains one-quarter of the dose that adults get one month apart. This was on thousands of kids, ages 6 months through 5 years. And first of all, the company says the vaccine looks safe, no signs of that heart inflammation that has occurred very rarely among young men and no signs the vaccine causes more high fevers than any other vaccine, which has been a big concern. And it looks like the vaccine generates the same kind of immune response - equivalent levels of so-called neutralizing⁹ antibodies that has protected grown-ups. So the hope is that should protect these little ones against the most important thing, which is getting seriously ill.

　　Now, the company says two doses of the vaccine was only about 40% effective against the omicron variant¹⁰, you know, protecting kids from getting mildly or moderately ill. So that's kind of disappointing, you know, just like the adult vaccine, though not totally unexpected. So Moderna plans to test a third dose, a booster, to see if that pumps the protection back up better.

　　INSKEEP: Well, what then turns this announcement, this press release, into an approved vaccine?

　　STEIN: Yeah, so after the company formally asks for authorization, the FDA will decide what to do. The agency usually convenes¹¹ outside advisers¹² to analyze¹³ the data and make a recommendation about whether to authorize the vaccine. Then the CDC will weigh in. Both those steps could happen fast, though. And the FDA is also waiting for word from Pfizer about its vaccine. Pfizer's testing a third dose, and those results should be available sometime next month.

　　INSKEEP: Rob, I got to ask - how much demand is there going to be for this vaccine, assuming it's approved?

　　STEIN: Yeah, good question, Steve. You know, less than a third of parents of kids ages 5 to 11 have gotten their kids the Pfizer vaccine, even though they've been eligible for months. And with the omicron surge fading, many parents may feel, you know, less urgency to vaccinate⁷ their kids, especially since COVID doesn't tend to make kids as sick as it makes adults. But many infectious disease experts say, look; kids can still get very sick, even die. So they hope parents will vaccinate their little ones, especially since omicron could surge again. And, you know, you never know - another variant could erupt.

　　INSKEEP: Rob, thanks for the update, as always.

　　STEIN: Sure thing, Steve.

　　INSKEEP: NPR health correspondent Rob Stein.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

5 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。

6 eligible   

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。

7 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。

8 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？

9 neutralizing   

v.使失效( neutralize的现在分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化

参考例句：

• This juice-about a quart a day--pours into my duodenum, neutralizing acids. 这种消化液（每天约分泌1品脱）流入我的十二指肠，把酸中和了。 来自辞典例句
• AIM: To verify the role of a synthetic peptide in neutralizing endotoxins. 目的：检验一条合成肽在中和内毒素活性方面的作用。 来自互联网

10 variant   

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。

11 convenes   

召开( convene的第三人称单数 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The Premier convenes and presides over the executive meetings and plenary meetings of the State Council. 总理召集和主持国务院常务会议和国务院全体会议。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
• Chinese woman tenth the National People Congress convenes grandly today in Beijing. 中国妇女第十次全国代表大会今天在北京隆重召开。

12 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。

13 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。