[Health ★★★]
(P1) The flu vaccine is doing a better job this year.
(P2) Preliminary data suggest it is 59 percent effective. That’s a big improvement from last winter’s nasty flu season when the vaccine was less than 20 percent effective.
(P3) Unlike last year’s vaccine, this year’s is a good match to the strains making people sick.
(P4) It’s been a milder flu season so far, though health officials said it has not yet peaked.
(P5) The numbers were presented Wednesday at a meeting in Atlanta of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which gives advice on vaccine use to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
(P6) The committee also amended its flu vaccine guidance for people with egg allergies, saying research has shown it’s OK for them to get the nasal spray version made from live virus grown in eggs.
(P7) The panel also said doctors no longer need to watch those with egg allergies for a half hour after a vaccination. But those who’ve had severe reactions should get vaccinated in a doctor’s office or medical setting.
WORDS: 172
SOURCE: http://www.koreatimesus.com/flu-vaccine-more-effective-this-year-milder-season-so-far/
VOCABULARY: preliminary, nasty, strains, amended, nasal, panel
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Do you get the flu vaccine every year? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, will there ever be a cure for the flu? Why or why not?
- Do you have any allergies or know somebody with allergies? If so, who and what allergies?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- So far, how effective is this year’s vaccine for the flu?
- The previous year’s vaccine was a good match but was just less effective. (T or F)
- Who gives suggestions to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention?
- Which type of vaccine was approved for people allergic to eggs?
- Doctors still need to observe people with egg allergies for at least 30 minutes. (T or F)
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- not yet peaked (P4)
- the numbers were presented (P5)
- with egg allergies (P6)
- severe reactions (P7)
Image source: by AP Photo/Patrick Sison http://www.koreatimesus.com/flu-vaccine-more-effective-this-year-milder-season-so-far/