Does it make sense for older people to get another booster against COVID-19?

Does it make sense for older people to get another booster against COVID-19?

　　Transcript¹

　　With the FDA poised² to OK another booster for people 50 and older, questions remain: Is the evidence strong enough to warrant a fourth shot, does the timing³ make sense, and will there be much demand?

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　The Food and Drug Administration is close to authorizing⁴ another COVID vaccine⁵ booster. Let's talk it through with NPR health correspondent Rob Stein. Rob, good morning.

　　ROB STEIN, BYLINE⁶: Good morning, Steve.

　　INSKEEP: OK, so this would be a second booster shot for anybody aged⁷ 50 and older. Do people really need what would be for many people a fourth shot?

　　STEIN: Well, you know, Steve, there's no doubt that the protection people got from three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines⁸ has been wearing thin as the months have gone by, especially against catching⁹ the virus and getting mildly ill. At the same time, omicron made things even worse because it's so good at sneaking¹⁰ around the immune system. But the immunity¹¹ is still holding up quite well for keeping most people from getting so sick they end up in a hospital or die. I talked about this with John Moore at Weill Cornell Medicine. He says most otherwise healthy, fully¹² vaccinated¹³ people in their 50s don't need another shot, especially if they already have some extra immunity from catching omicron recently.

　　JOHN MOORE: The vaccines are working very well for keeping people fundamentally healthy. So it's ill-advised to do this too frequently. I mean, you know, a dose a day does not keep the doctor away.

　　STEIN: That said, more evidence has been emerging that giving older people, those 60 and older, another shot could cut their chances of dying. So many experts say it could make sense to boost at least the older people and perhaps some younger people, like those with diabetes¹⁴, high blood pressure and other health problems that put them at risk. But, you know, Steve, another question is whether this is the right timing for another booster.

　　INSKEEP: OK, you've posed it. Is it?

　　STEIN: You know, it's kind of tricky¹⁵. You know, one argument for a second round of boosters sooner rather than later is to stay ahead of a possible surge from the even more contagious¹⁶ version of omicron known as BA.2. That subvariant already triggered new surges in Europe and is taking over now in the U.S. But it's far from clear a big new U.S. surge is inevitable¹⁷ or, if a surge does come, when it'll come. If you boost people right away, any added protection they get could wear off before the next surge hits. I talked about this with Dr. Jesse Goodman. He's a former FDA scientist who's now at Georgetown University.

　　JESSE GOODMAN: Do you offer this additional booster now to protect against the possibility that we're about to see a new surge? Or do we perhaps wait and monitor that? Because another unknown is, you know, if we give the booster, how long will that protection last?

　　STEIN: And this comes when Congress is balking¹⁸ at providing more funding to fight the pandemic, including buying more vaccines. So is this really the best use of limited resources? And one more issue is this - so many people are already suffering from vaccine fatigue¹⁹.

　　INSKEEP: What's vaccine fatigue?

　　STEIN: Well, you know, the rate at which people have been getting vaccinated and boosted has slowed way down. So that raises a big question about how much demand there will be for a fourth shot if it's made available, especially with people feeling so much safer. I asked Ashley Kirzinger about this. She's been studying vaccinations²⁰ at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

　　ASHLEY KIRZINGER: Many people are talking about the pandemic is over. You know, mask mandates²¹ are being lifted, so people don't really see the virus as posing a great a threat, so they may think that they don't need to get a booster in order to keep themselves safe, that the worries around the virus have passed.

　　STEIN: And, you know, while it's certainly important to shore up the immunity of the most vulnerable, many experts say the top priority should still be vaccinating²² the unvaccinated and boosting the un-boosted because they are by far the most vulnerable out there.

　　INSKEEP: NPR health correspondent Rob Stein, boosting our knowledge. Thanks.

　　STEIN: Sure thing, Steve.

1 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。

2 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

3 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

4 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

5 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。

6 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。

7 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

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 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

10 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

11 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

13 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？

14 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

15 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

16 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

17 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

18 balking   

n.慢行，阻行v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的现在分词 )；（指马）不肯跑

参考例句：

• He picked up a stone and let fly at the balking dog. 他捡起一块石头朝那狂吠的狗扔去。 来自互联网
• Democrats won't pass the plan without votes from rank-and-file Republicans andof-and-file Republicans were reportedly balking. 没有普通共和党议员的支持，民主党人无法通过这项方案——到周四晚间，据悉那些普通共和党人在阻挡（该计划）。 来自互联网

19 fatigue   

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。

20 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》

21 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

22 vaccinating   

给…接种疫苗( vaccinate的现在分词 )； 注射疫苗，接种疫苗

参考例句：

• At first blush, vaccinating the wolves against rabies seems a simple solution. 乍一看来，为狼群注射防狂犬病疫苗是一种简单的办法。
• Also vaccinating children against misers (measles) has saved many lives. 还有，给儿童进行疫苗接种防止麻疹也挽救了许多生命。