VOA慢速英语听力：新型呼吸道合胞病毒疫苗获批用于儿童 New RSV Vaccine Approved for Children.
U.S. officials on Monday approved the first long-acting drug to protect babies and young children against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
美国官员于周一批准了第一种长效药物，用于保护婴儿和幼儿免受呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）感染。
RSV sends tens of thousands of American children to the hospital each year. The virus is a cold-like disease for most healthy people. But it can be life-threatening in the very young and very old. Last year, a large increase in RSV cases crowded U.S. hospitals with sick children.
RSV每年导致数以万计的美国儿童住院治疗。对于大多数健康人来说，该病毒只是一种类似感冒的疾病。但对于非常小和非常老的人来说，它可能危及生命。去年，RSV病例大幅增加，导致美国医院里满满都是生病的儿童。
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the injection for infants and children up to 2 years old who face increased risk of severe RSV.
美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准了这种注射剂，适用于面临严重RSV风险的2岁以下婴儿和儿童。
The approval helps “reduce the impact of RSV disease on children, families and the health care system” said FDA's Dr. John Farley in a statement.
FDA的约翰·法利博士在一份声明中表示，这一批准有助于“减轻RSV疾病对儿童、家庭和医疗卫生系统的影响”。
The drugmaker AstraZeneca developed the drug. It will be sold under the name Beyfortus. It is a laboratory-made version of an antibody that helps the immune system fight off RSV.
制药公司阿斯利康研发了这种药物，将以Beyfortus为名销售。它是人工合成的抗体，有助于免疫系统抵抗RSV。
Under the FDA approval, babies — including small infants — can receive a single injection to protect against their first season of RSV, which usually lasts about five months. Children up to age 2 can receive another dose to protect them during their second season facing the virus.
根据FDA的批准，婴儿，包括小婴儿，可以接种一次注射来保护他们在RSV的第一个季节中，该季节通常持续约五个月。2岁以下的儿童可以在第二个季节面对该病毒时再接种一次，以保护他们免受感染。
Beyfortus is already approved in Canada, Europe and Britain. It did not immediately announce the U.S. price of the treatment.
Beyfortus已经在加拿大、欧洲和英国获得批准。该药尚未立即公布在美国的价格。
FDA officials approved the drug based on three studies. They showed Beyfortus reduced the risk of RSV infection between 70 percent and 75 percent among infants and children 2 and younger.
FDA官员基于三项研究批准了这种药物。这些研究显示，Beyfortus可将2岁以下婴儿和儿童感染RSV的风险降低70％至75％。
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet early next month to recommend exactly who should get the drug.
疾病预防控制中心的顾问将于下个月初举行会议，推荐确切的接种对象。
A similar antibody drug won FDA approval more than 20 years ago. But the drug is only recommended for high-risk babies and requires monthly injections. Doctors say that drug is underused. But they expect the longer-lasting effect of AstraZeneca's shot to be more popular.
20多年前，一种类似的抗体药物获得了FDA的批准。但该药物仅建议用于高危婴儿，并需要每月注射。医生表示该药物被低估了。但他们预计阿斯利康的长效注射剂效果将更受欢迎。
In the U.S., about 58,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized for RSV each year. Several hundred die.
在美国，每年约有58,000名5岁以下的儿童因RSV住院治疗。几百人死亡。
After years of setbacks for RSV research, drugmakers have made big improvements this year. In May, the FDA approved two RSV vaccines for older adults from GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.
经过多年的RSV研究挫折后，制药公司今年取得了很大的进展。今年5月，FDA批准了葛兰素史克和辉瑞推出的两种针对老年人的RSV疫苗。
In August, the FDA is expected to make a decision on approving Pfizer’s vaccine for pregnant women. The aim is for the vaccine to pass along protection to their newborns.
预计FDA将在8月份决定是否批准辉瑞的孕妇疫苗。目的是使疫苗传递保护力给新生儿。
I’m Dan Novak.
我是丹·诺瓦克。
Words in This Story
infant — n. a very young child
antibody — n. a substance produced by the body to fight disease
dose — n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time
