VOA标准英语2011--Saving Lives, Saving Money With Childhoo

Saving Lives, Saving Money With Childhood Vaccines²

Efforts are underway to speed vaccine¹ development and delivery in 72 countries over the next 10 years. New studies say that would save the lives of more than six million children and save billions of dollars. But advocates say poor countries may not be able to pay for the expanded immunization on their own. As a result, health related groups are calling for greater international investment.
The World Health Organization estimates nearly two and a half million children die every year because they have not been vaccinated³ against preventable diseases.
Two new studies published in the June issue of the journal Health Affairs say that doesn't have to happen. They report on the effects of vaccinating⁴ 90 percent of children in more than 70 countries. The vaccines would target pneumococcal pneumonia⁵, diphtheria, pertussis or whooping⁶ cough, tetanus, measles⁷, rotavirus, malaria⁸ and Haemophilus influenza⁹ type B, also known as Hib disease, which is a brain infection.
"Every day, millions of children die needlessly, and for relatively¹⁰ small amounts of money we can save those lives. If you consider that saving six million lives over a decade is like saving the population of Ireland just with vaccinations¹¹, it's pretty obvious to see that this is an incredible opportunity," said Dr. Orin Levine, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Good return on investment
"We're estimating that over the next 10 years, while saving six million children's lives, we can also generate savings¹² or economic value of between150 and 230 billion dollars," he said.
For example, healthy children mean families are not burdened with medical costs. And that can keep them out of poverty.
While two new studies promote the benefits of childhood immunization, a third study, by the GAVI Alliance and Results for Development Institute, says, "Poor countries will be hard pressed to pay for expanded vaccine delivery without substantial outside support."
"What we have," said Levine, "is a shortfall over the next several years of about $4 billion. And next week in London, international governments will be sitting together to make pledges to help fill that funding shortfall. When people hear $4 billion they think that this is a huge number and in many ways it is. But realize that essentially¹³ for the price of a latte coffee you can buy a dose of a life saving vaccine. This is really within the reach of everyday citizens and their governments."
Researchers say low-income countries could pay a "modest share" of the cost, about 20 cents per dose.
Making diseases disappear
Dr. Levine says he believes it's possible to eliminate many childhood diseases in developing countries.
"I say this from personal experience. We've seen it here in the United States. If you talk to pediatricians who are about 45 or older, they will tell you we used to see children with bacterial¹⁴ meningitis due to Hib and pneumococcus all the time. And now that we've been using these vaccines in this country we basically never see them," he said.
In recent days there has been encouraging news about vaccine prices. Vaccine makers¹⁵ announced they are cutting the price by as much as 60 percent in some cases.
Levine says it's some of the best news regarding vaccines in the last 10 years.

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 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。

3 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？

4 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。

5 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

6 whooping   

发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的

参考例句：

• Whooping cough is very prevalent just now. 百日咳正在广泛流行。
• Have you had your child vaccinated against whooping cough? 你给你的孩子打过百日咳疫苗了吗？

7 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。

8 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

9 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

11 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》

12 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

13 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

14 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

15 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》