VOA标准英语2013--Indian Firm Cuts Price of Major Vaccine

 

Indian Firm Cuts Price of Major Vaccine¹

An Indian manufacturer has cut the price of a major vaccine for children. It means the cost of the vaccine -- that protects against five diseases -- will be available for a little more than a dollar per dose. The agreement was brokered² by the GAVI Alliance.

The pentavalent vaccine immunizes children against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B and hib – bacteria that can cause meningitis, pneumonia³ and other infections.

“The pentavalent vaccine is really our flagship vaccine. We’ve rolled it out in 70 out of 73 of the world’s poorest countries that we work in so far. It’s the basic childhood vaccine. Three shots of this will set the child up for life, a healthy and productive life,” said Dan Thomas, GAVI’s chief spokesman.

GAVI is a public / private partnership⁴ that helps make vaccinations⁵ available in developing countries. It says the agreement with Biological E Limited lowers the cost by one-third. It says it could mean a savings⁶ of up to $150 million over the next four years.

Thomas said, “Vaccines⁷ cost money. We buy them on the open market. So, we work with the vaccine manufacturers to try and ensure a sustainable supply and a quality supply of vaccines, but also at prices that we can afford to buy them.”

The agreement lowers the price for the pentavalent vaccine to $1.19 per dose. That’s about a dollar cheaper than last year. Ten years ago, it cost $3.56 a dose. Besides Biological E Limited, GAVI has agreements with four other suppliers.

“All the vaccines that we buy are of the highest standards -- the same vaccine standards that we see in the world’s richest countries. So that’s the first thing. They’re all pre-qualified by the World Health Organization. So these really are the very best vaccines, in terms of quality and price available, in the global market place,” he said.

GAVI expects to roll out the vaccine in the remaining three countries soon.

“We’re hoping to introduce it in Somalia later this month. And Indonesia later this year and then South Sudan early next year we hope,” said Thomas.

At a London conference in June 2011, donors⁸ pledged an additional $4.3 billion dollars for GAVI programs through 2015. Donors will meet again in October in Stockholm to assess immunization progress.

The announcement of the vaccine price cut comes shortly before the Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi. It will be held April 24th and 25th.

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 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

3 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。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 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》

6 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。

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 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》