美国国家公共电台 NPR--Advisers to the FDA support approval of an RSV vaccine to protect infants

Advisers¹ to the FDA support approval of an RSV vaccine² to protect infants

Transcript³

An expert panel advising the Food and Drug Administration has recommended approval of a Pfizer vaccine that would be the first to protect babies against RSV.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Next winter could be just a little less miserable⁴ for many new parents. That's because doctors are one crucial step closer to getting the first RSV vaccine for newborns. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration endorsed⁵ the vaccine late yesterday. NPR health correspondent Rob Stein joins us now to discuss. Hi, Rob.

ROB STEIN, BYLINE⁶: Hey, Leila.

FADEL: So what do we know about this vaccine?

STEIN: It's a twist on the vaccines⁷ people typically get to protect themselves against diseases like the flu, COVID and measles⁸. This is a vaccine that pregnant people would get, not to protect themselves against RSV, but to protect their newborn babies. Here's how it works. The pregnant person gets the vaccine when they're four to six months pregnant to stimulate⁹ their immune systems to produce antibodies against RSV. Those antibodies then make their way to the fetus¹⁰ in their womb to protect them for at least the first six months after birth.

FADEL: Oh, wow. So how effective and how safe is it?

STEIN: A big study conducted by Pfizer, which developed the vaccine, found that the shot was almost 82% effective at protecting newborns against severe RSV through their first three months of life and 69% effective at protecting them against severe disease in their first six months. And you know, Leila, the question of safety is obviously a big deal and was the focus of a lot of discussion yesterday when the FDA convened¹¹ an all-day meeting of the agency's outside advisers to review the vaccine. One concern was the vaccine might interfere¹² with other vaccines, but the biggest worry was that there was a hint in the company study that women who get the vaccine are more likely to give birth prematurely¹³. Here's Dr. Paul Offit from the University of Pennsylvania, one of the FDA advisers.

PAUL OFFIT: I worry that if preterm births are in any way a consequence of this vaccine, that would be tragic¹⁴.

STEIN: But other committee members say they were convinced by the vaccine's effectiveness. Here's Dr. Jay Portnoy from Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

JAY PORTNOY: If the vaccine actually lives up to the data that we've seen today, I can guarantee that many infants and their parents will breathe easier in the coming years.

STEIN: And in the end, the FDA advisers voted unanimously that the vaccine is effective and 10 to 4 that it's safe.

FADEL: Now, how big of a problem, how dangerous is RSV to kids and babies?

STEIN: You know, RSV is a huge problem each fall and winter. Most kids will catch RSV in their first year of life. For most, the RSV just causes, you know, like a cold. But a small but significant percentage will be hospitalized for RSV, making it the leading cause of hospitalization for very young babies. As many as 80,000 babies end up in the hospital each year because of RSV, and between 100 and 300 die, according to the CDC.

FADEL: How soon will this vaccine be available for infants?

STEIN: The FDA will now consider those votes and make a final decision by the end of August. So this vaccine could be available to protect newborns against RSV next winter. You know, I should mention there may be another option too - the FDA is also considering what's called a monoclonal antibody shot babies could get to protect them. And the agency's already approved a vaccine to protect older people against RSV who are also at high risk for severe complications. And another vaccine for older folks from Pfizer could be approved this summer. So, you know, after decades of frustration¹⁵, there are finally some weapons to fight RSV in the pipeline¹⁶.

FADEL: NPR health correspondent Rob Stein, thanks a lot.

STEIN: You bet.

1 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。

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 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

5 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 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。

8 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。

9 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

10 fetus   

n.胎，胎儿

参考例句：

• In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。
• No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。

11 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

12 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

13 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

14 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

15 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

16 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。