VOA慢速英语--针对在校学生的疫苗接种工作遭到反对

School Vaccine¹ Efforts Targeting Students Face Opposition²

Andrew wanted to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but was afraid his parents would not approve. He signed up for a vaccine in secret. Then he told his parents just before he was to receive the vaccine.

But his father told him no. "He said, ‘You're not getting this...vaccine."

Andrew said it was the first time his father had ever done something like that. "He grabbed my shirt and yelled in my face," said Andrew, a 17-year-old student in Hoover, Alabama.

Children under 18 need their parents' permission to get medical treatment such as the vaccine against COVID-19. Students and organizers of campaigns that directly target young people for vaccination³ efforts are facing reactions from families.

Millions of American students have returned to school in recent weeks. At the same time, the coronavirus continues to spread at high rates in some places.

U.S. President Joe Biden has pushed school districts to persuade students to get vaccinated⁴. Biden's administration has also pushed for clinics in schools that provide vaccines⁵.

But distrust of the vaccine and other concerns remain in communities in many parts of the country. And many state governments and school districts are not pushing the vaccine in some areas for several reasons.

In Tennessee, the health department ended vaccination events and outreach aimed at children. Republican lawmakers criticized advertisements aimed at children that included words like "Give COVID-19 vaccines a shot." Republican lawmakers accused the health department of "peer pressuring" children to get the vaccine.

It is estimated that half of people ages 12 to 17 have been vaccinated across the country. That age group has been able to get the Pfizer vaccine since May. Pfizer is currently testing a vaccine for younger children. Last week, the Los Angeles Unified⁶ School District school board voted to require vaccines for students 12 and older.

Conflicting information surrounding vaccination efforts at schools is damaging trust between parents and school officials.

School officials in Kettering, Ohio, said they received death threats in August. They came after social media videos on TikTok falsely claimed the district was vaccinating⁷ children without parental⁸ permission.

There was no truth to the claims but they caused "huge hysteria" in the community, said Scott Inskeep, the head of Kettering City Schools.

"Our families really are struggling with both information and disinformation," Inskeep said. "It's like a match being put to a gasoline fire. When it starts it's hard to put out."

Research by the Kaiser Family Foundation said that eight states permit children to get vaccines without parental permission. The states are Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama.

In some areas, there have been efforts to make it easier for children to get vaccinated.

State lawmakers in New York and New Jersey⁹ introduced laws that would permit teens to agree to vaccines without their parents' permission, but they were not approved.

The Washington, D.C. city council passed a law giving young children the ability to make medical decisions, but a group is disputing the law in court.

In May, officials in two Oregon counties banned health officials from giving vaccines to underage children without parental permission.

Yamhill County Commissioner¹⁰ Lindsay Berschauer, who is also the mother of three teenagers, said, "Our children are not the property of the State of Oregon."

But the counties removed the ban after state health officials released an opinion saying children 15 and older have the right to make their own health decisions.

Alabama's law permits children like Andrew, who disagreed with his father, to get the vaccine on their own. But in reality, that is almost impossible. The Alabama Department of Public Health requires parental permission. So do large pharmacies¹¹.

Andrew's Hoover High School does not push for COVID-19 vaccinations¹² on its website or social media sites. There has been no sign the school will hold a vaccine clinic. The day after their argument, Andrew's father took him to the pharmacy¹³ and signed his permission form, without saying a word.

Pediatricians sometimes try to create discussion between children and parents to encourage the use of the COVID-19 vaccine. But it does not always work, even with parents who have accepted a pediatrician's recommendation for other vaccines.

Doctor Katrina Skinner is president of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

She said some parents look at her like she is feeding their child "poison when I'm recommending a COVID vaccine."

Words in This Story

district –n. an area established by a government for official government business

clinic –n. a place that is smaller than a hospital where people get medical help

outreach — n. the activity of bringing information to people

peer pressure— n. a feeling that you must do the same things that other people of your age and social group do in order to be liked or respected by them

hysteria — n. a state in which your emotions are so strong that you behave in an uncontrolled way

pharmacy — n. a store in which drugs and medicines are sold and prepared

pediatrician — n. a doctor who specializes in treating children

encourage — n. to advise someone to do something

1 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。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

4 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？

5 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。

6 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

7 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。

8 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

9 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

11 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

12 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》

13 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。