VOA慢速英语--以色列研究新冠疫苗和心脏问题的可能联系

Israel's Health Ministry¹ said Wednesday there is a "possible link" between the second shot of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine² and mild heart problems among young men.

The ministry said about 275 men aged³ 16 to 30 who received the vaccine reported a heart problem known as myocarditis over the last six months. It said the "link was found to be stronger among the younger age group, 16 to 19."

The cases of mild inflammation of the heart represent a very small percentage of more than 5 million vaccinated⁵ people. However, the ministry said it will extend the research "to investigate the possible link between these cases and the vaccine."

Drug-maker Pfizer said in a statement that it meets regularly with the Israeli Ministry of Health to review the data and "no causal link to the vaccine had been established."

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States recommended more research on a possible link between mRNA vaccines⁶ and myocarditis. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are made with the technology.

The CDC said one set of data showed a higher than expected number of observed myocarditis among 16 to 24-year-olds. But the agency said another data set showed the number among vaccinated people is no greater than what would be expected in the general population.

Last week, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) added that heart inflammation, or myocarditis, after receiving the Pfizer vaccine had been no cause for concern. The health agency said it found such cases were similar to those in the general population.

Dr. Paul Offit is director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He said parents should still vaccinate⁴ their children because of the known risks of COVID-19.

Offit said: "I think that in the world of trying to weigh relative risks, the disease is a greater risk."

Words in This Story

mild –adj. not strong or harsh; gentle

inflammation –n. a condition in which a part of your body becomes red, swollen⁷, and painful

causal –adj. making something happen : causing something

recommend –v. to suggest that someone do (something)

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

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 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。

4 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。

5 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？

6 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。

7 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。