Influenza and Vaccines There is no specific cure for influenza. Recommended treatment usually consists of bed rest and incre

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问题                      Influenza and Vaccines
    There is no specific cure for influenza. Recommended treatment usually consists of bed rest and increased intake of nonalcoholic fluids until fever and other symptoms lessen in severity. Certain drugs have been found effective in lessening flu symptoms, but medical efforts aimed against the disease focus chiefly on prevention by means of vaccines that create immunity.   No drugs can cure influenza, but certain antiviral medicines can relieve flu symptoms. Available by prescription, these drugs provide modest relief, but only if taken on the first or second day of symptoms. The drugs amantadine (sold under the brand name Symmetrel) and rimantadine (Flumadine), both in pill form, work against hemagglutinin and are effective in treating type A influenza. Two other drugs inhibit neuraminidase and are effective against both type A and type B strains: oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is in pill form and zanamivir (Relenza) is an inhalant.   A flu vaccine consists of greatly weakened or dead flu viruses, or fragments of dead viruses. Antigens in the vaccine stimulate the patient’s immune system to produce antibodies against the viruses. If the flu viruses invade a vaccinated person at a later time, the sensitized immune system recognizes the antigens, produces the antibodies and quickly responds to help destroy them.   About 5 to 10 percent of people who receive a flu vaccine experience mild, temporary side effects, typically soreness at the injection site. Young children who have not previously been exposed to the influenza virus are most likely to experience side effects.   Flu viruses constantly change so different virus strains must be incorporated in vaccines from one year to the next. Scientists try to provide a good match between the vaccine and the most serious virus strains circulating at the time. But because it takes months to manufacture and distribute vaccines, decisions on their composition must be made well before the start of each flu season. Each February experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend a vaccine composition to be used for the forthcoming winter in the Northern Hemisphere; a second recommendation is made in September for vaccines to be used in the Southern Hemisphere. Typically vaccines contain antigens from three virus strains, usually two strains from type A and one strain from type B.   According to the CDC, the success of flu vaccines varies from one person to another. In healthy young adults, the vaccines are 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing the disease. In the elderly and people with certain chronic medical conditions, the vaccines are less effective in preventing illness but help reduce the severity of an infection and the risk of major complications or death. Studies show that flu vaccines reduce flu-related hospitalization by about 70 percent and flu-related deaths by about 85 percent among elderly people.   The CDC recommends annual flu shots for people who are at high risk for developing serious complications as a result of an influenza infection.
(A) [■]This group includes all people aged 65 and older; people in nursing homes and other facilities that house people with chronic medical conditions; people with chronic heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes, an impaired immune system, or severe forms of anemia; children and adolescents with conditions treated for long periods of time with aspirin (which makes them vulnerable to Reye’s syndrome) ; and women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season.
(B) [■] Some doctors encourage individuals who travel to areas of the world where influenza viruses circulate to receive the most current vaccine.
(C) [■] Vaccination taken earlier can better protect the travellers from being infected by influenza in the epidemic areas
(D) [■] vaccination is more urgently needed particularly if they are at higher risk of complications   It takes the human immune system one to two weeks after vaccination to develop antibodies to the flu antigens. According to the CDC, the best time to get flu shots in the United States is between October 1st and mid-November—sufficiently in advance of the peak of influenza activity, which in the United States generally lasts from late December until early March.   Flu shots must be given annually for two reasons. First, antibody protection that is provided by the vaccine decreases during the year following vaccination. Second, vaccines created for pre-existing viral strains may not work against new strains; nor does an infection with one flu strain confer immunity to infection by another strain.
According to the recommendation of the CDC, when should people receive vaccinations in America?

选项 A、People should receive a vaccination one or two weeks earlier before influenza activity.
B、People should receive a vaccination before the influenza epidemic.
C、People should get flu shots in March when the influenza activity ends.
D、People should get flu shots before October so as to develop antibodies.

答案B

解析 本题为推论题,考查考生能否对文章中没有明确阐述但却明显暗示了的信息进行推测。 题目问:根据CDC的建议,在美国应该什么时候注射疫苗?根据原文,我们知道注射疫苗后需要一到两周才能产生抗体;CDC建议10月初到11月中旬注射,而美国流感的高发期是12月末到第二年3月。因此A项是错误的,因为一到两周是疫苗产生抗体的时问,并不是流感高潮期到来前一两周注射疫苗。B项为正确答案,因为只要在流感流行前注射就行;C项是错误的,因为不能在3月流感结束后注射疫苗;D项的错误在于10月前注射疫苗还太早。
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