Practise Listening 26 - Measles

Nội dung text: Practise Listening 26 - Measles

1. PRACTISE LISTENING 26 broader “philosophical” exemptions, too. In 2017-18 such non-medical exemptions MEASLES were used for 2.2% of American schoolchildren, double the rate in 2010-11. The needle and the damage avoided BROOKLYN Paul Offit of the Vaccine Education Centre at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia New York’s struggle with measles has put vaccination rules on the spot says that the religious exemption to vaccines is, in fact, a “misinformed–parent exemption.” Vaccines were invented long after the main religious texts had been written Signs warning people to stay away if they have fever and rash are posted at medical and no widespread religious doctrine says people cannot be vaccinated, says Dr Offit. practices and pharmacies in parts of Brooklyn, a borough of New York City where Proposals to abolish nonmedical exemptions have been introduced in several state health authorities have struggled to stop a measles outbreak that began in October. More legislatures this lawmaking season. But such bills—as well as some that would make it than 320 people have contracted the disease so far and new cases show no sign of easier to avoid vaccines—are a perennial feature in many states; some never get to a abating. With outbreaks going on in several other states, measles cases in America this vote. By and large the trend in recent years has been to make non-medical exemptions year are on track to reach the highest number since 1994. harder to obtain (by asking parents for more paperwork or to renew the request every Most cases in Brooklyn have been in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish enclave, where many year, for example). parents have refused to vaccinate their children. Pockets with vaccination rates lower California bucked the trend and abolished non-medical exemptions in 2015 in than the 95% level that stops measles from spreading exist across America. But response to a big measles outbreak. Vaccination rates went up, but so did the rate of Brooklyn is densely populated and that has made the disease easier to spread. medical exemptions. It turned out that some doctors were writing bogus ones — and On a Sunday afternoon, playgrounds in a neighbourhood that has been the centre of the parents would go to great lengths to find them. One child who came down with outbreak are so packed that there is hardly any space for children to run around. Large measles had received an exemption from all vaccines from a doctor’s practice in a town families are the norm among ultra-Orthodox Jews and their social life is largely several hundred miles away. There is more that can be done. Most parents who worry confined within their community. about the safety or efficacy of vaccines are “convincible” and will choose to vaccinate The outbreak in Brooklyn began with an unvaccinated child who contracted measles their children if doctors answer their questions with patience and compassion, says Dr on a visit to Israel. There is no religious reason why Jews should not get the measles Offit. A small minority of parents, however, will remain strong believers in conspiracy vaccine, says David Niederman, a rabbi in Brooklyn. Like him, most rabbis in the area theories about vaccines no matter what. The imprint of PEACH in Brooklyn suggests support vaccination and even urge people to get the jab. that paranoia and superstition can still cast a spell over science. But that advice stands against anti-vaccine propaganda from Parents Educating and [The Economist, UK, April 20, 2019] Advocating for Child Health (PEACH), a group that has aimed its publications at Jewish families. It blanketed parts of Brooklyn with a brochure claiming that vaccines are harmful and unnecessary, attaching letters by rabbis in support of its cause. PEACH also runs a call-line with recorded “lectures”. One is by Andrew Wakefield, author of a Notes discredited study from 1998 that linked vaccines with autism. - enclave: khu biệt lập On April 9th, 2019 New York City declared a public health emergency, making - rabbi: lão sư (= Jewish teacher) - autism: bệnh tự kỷ vaccination against measles mandatory in the parts of Brooklyn where cases have been - cracking down on: ngăn cản; chặn đứng concentrated. Residents were given 48 hours to comply or pay a $1,000 fine. The - flouted: miệt thị authorities are also cracking down on child-care centres and yeshivas (religious - exemption: miễn trừ schools) that have flouted a ban on attendance by unvaccinated children that the city - perennial: bất diệt; vĩnh hằng issued in December. Nearly 40 cases of measles were traced to unvaccinated children in - By and large (= in general): nhìn chung - bucked the trend: kích động xu thế one such school that defied the ban. - bogus (= fake, false): giả th On April 15 ,2019 the health department shut down a day-care centre for 250 children - go to great lengths: cứ mải mê liên tục for non-compliance. The outbreak in New York has charged an ongoing debate in - paranoia: bệnh hoang tưởng America: whether to abolish the exemptions to vaccination for schoolchildren. New - cast a spell on / over: gây mê hoặc York and 46 other states currently allow unvaccinated children to attend school if their parents claim that they object to vaccines on religious grounds; a further 17 states have TQT PRACTTISING LISTENING ~ LESSON 26