VOA慢速英語：新的流感疫苗接種方式不用打針

New Vaccination Method Protects Against Influenza

新的流感疫苗接種方式不用打針

Most people think of influenza as a common health problem -- not a serious condition.

大多數(shù)人認為流感是一種常見的小病，不是什么嚴重病癥。

Yet an influenza infection can be deadly, especially in older adults, young children and people with weak or failing health.

然而流感感染可能會致命，尤其是對老年人、幼兒和身體虛弱的人群。

Every year, less than half of all adult Americans who should have a flu vaccine actually get one.

每年，本應注射流感疫苗的所有美國成年人只有不到一半的人進行了注射。

The vaccine is injected into the muscle of the upper arm. The injection is painful. It can leave redness on the skin and cause swelling, temporarily enlarging the area.

這種疫苗被注射到上臂肌肉中。注射過程很痛苦。它會導致皮膚發(fā)紅并引起腫脹。

In the United States, flu season usually begins in late autumn and continues until spring.

在美國，流感季節(jié)通常始于秋末，并一直持續(xù)到春天來臨。

Now, scientists have developed a treatment that may soon take the pain out of flu vaccines. And, they hope it will increase the percentage of Americans getting flu shots.

現(xiàn)在科學家們已經(jīng)開發(fā)出一種新的療法，可能很快就能消除流感疫苗的疼痛。而且，他們希望這能提高美國人的流感疫苗接種率。

Nadine Rouphael is a professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. She was the lead investigator for clinical testing of the influenza skin patch.

納迪·洛菲爾(Nadine Rouphael)是格魯吉亞州亞特蘭大市埃默里大學醫(yī)學院的傳染病教授。

Rouphael explained that the patch has very small needles that contain the flu vaccine. She said the needles completely melt into the skin and do not leave any sharp waste afterward.

洛菲爾解釋說，該貼片上非常細小的針頭里包含了流感疫苗。她說，這些針頭會完全溶解在皮膚里，之后不會留下任何尖銳的殘留物。

Patients wear the patch for just a few minutes. Then, the material can be thrown away.

患者只要把這種貼片貼上幾分鐘，然后就能丟棄它。

The clinical tests took place in June 2015 and involved 100 patients. They were from 18 to 49 years old. None had received a flu vaccine during the most recent influenza season.

臨床測試于2015年6月進行，包含了100名患者，年齡從18歲到49歲。他們在最近的流感季節(jié)都沒有注射過流感疫苗。

The patients were divided into four groups.

這些患者被分為四組。

Health care providers or patients put on the influenza patches. Some of the patients also received the vaccine by injection. The fourth group was given a placebo, or harmless substance.

由醫(yī)護人員或患者自行貼上這種流感貼片。有些患者還注射了疫苗。第四組被給予了無害的安慰劑。

Whether the patch was put on the skin by a health care provider or by a patient, Rouphael says it was as safe and effective as the common needle injection. There were few harmful effects, including a small amount of redness and swelling, which lasted a few days.

洛菲爾表示，無論這種貼片是由醫(yī)護人員還是患者自己貼上去的，都跟通常的針頭注射一樣安全有效。幾乎不會有什么不良效益，包括會持續(xù)幾天的略微發(fā)紅和腫脹。

The findings were reported in The Lancet.

該研究結(jié)果發(fā)表在《柳葉刀》雜志上。

The investigators wrote in their report that, six months after the vaccination, both the common needle and patch methods offered similar protection.

研究人員在報告中寫道：“疫苗接種六個月之后，普通針頭和貼片這兩種流感疫苗接種方式都提供了同樣的保護。”

Nadine Rouphael says the patients who used the patch liked it.

洛菲爾表示，使用貼片的患者喜歡這種接種方式。

"We do have a lot of people that are typically scared of needles and they're more prone or were more excited about being part of this clinical trial so they could try the microneedle instead."

她說：“確實有很多人往往害怕打針，他們更喜歡參與這種臨床試驗，這樣他們就能試用這種微小針頭。”

Rouphael says 70 percent of those who used the patch liked it more than an injection.

洛菲爾表示，70%使用了貼片的患者更喜歡貼片而不是注射。

The patch does not need to be kept in cool place. So Rouphael says it could be sold in stores or mailed to patients. The fact that it is painless, she notes, means more people will probably get vaccinated against the seasonal flu virus.

這種貼片不需要保存在陰涼處。所以洛菲爾表示，它可以在商店銷售，或是寄給患者。她指出，它是無痛的，這意味著可能會有更多人接種季節(jié)性流感疫苗。

The Global Center for Medical Innovation manufactures the patch. The company is also investigating using the technology for other vaccines, including for measles, mumps and rubella.

全球醫(yī)療創(chuàng)新中心生產(chǎn)了這種貼片。該公司還在研究把這種技術(shù)用到其它疫苗上，包括麻疹、腮腺炎和風疹疫苗。

I'm Alice Bryant.

艾麗絲·布萊恩特報道。