VOA常速英语:Health Experts Dispatch Experimental Vaccine to Fight Congo’s Latest Ebola Outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo was grappling with its ninth outbreak of Ebola. And health experts are scrambling to dispatch an experimental vaccine to fight the deadly virus in its earliest stages.While the vaccine has yet to be approved, health officials have rushed in 7500 doses,because the shots appeared promising during the devastating 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The vaccines are being dispensed in three of the country’s most heavily affected areas all of which are transport hubs. The strategy involves investigators working in rings around those who’ve been infected,immunizing high-risk people who’ve come into direct contact with infected persons and then with their contacts.
刚果民主共和国正在应对其第九次埃博拉疫情。卫生专家们正忙于派发一种实验性疫苗，以期在这种致命病毒的初期将其扼杀。尽管疫苗尚未获得批准，但卫生官员已经投入了7500剂，因为在2014年西非爆发的破坏性埃博拉疫情中，这些疫苗似乎很有希望。疫苗正在该国受影响最严重的三个地区分发，这些地区都是交通枢纽。这一策略包括在感染者周围区域工作的调查人员。对高危人群进行免疫接种，因为这些人与感染者直接接触，还会与健康人接触。

“Most of the positive cases that we have at least 50 percent are coming from the contacts.”Success of the vaccination strategy hinges on the speed at which health workers can identify people at risk. “If we identified a new case before the disease progresses, then we can treat the patient in the hospital.”Even if the vaccine works, the hurdles can be challenging. Special freezers are needed to transport the medication in the heat and through forested areas with few paved roads.Health workers have to identify and track down anyone who’s come into contact with a sick person.
我们发现的大多数阳性病例中至少有百分之五十来自接触者。疫苗接种策略的成功取决于卫生工作者识别高危人群的速度。如果我们在病情发展之前发现了一个新病例，那么我们就可以在医院治疗病人。即使疫苗能起作用，这些障碍也是具有挑战性的。需要特殊的冷冻机在炎热的天气里运送药物，并通过几乎没有铺设道路的森林地区。卫生工作者必须识别并追踪任何与病人接触的人。

And perhaps most challenging of all is persuading a frightened population that these shots can save lives.Many don’t believe Ebola even exists. “The community was not really convinced that this is a deadly disease. For them it’s a start of witchcraft and so on.”Health officials say that one is difficult to track down people in remote areas who are at risk and in need of vaccinations.They’re cautiously optimistic about the strategy in more populated areas. Passengers who arrive in boats have their temperature taken. And in populated areas along the Congo River, residents are given a phone number to report anyone who’s become sick. “Here we wait, as soon as it happens we’ll call since we were left numbers. They will come directly with drugs to spray in the boats.”
也许最具挑战性的是说服恐慌的人们相信这些疫苗可以挽救生命。许多人甚至不相信埃博拉病毒的存在。这里的人并不相信埃博拉是一种致命的疾病，对他们而言这只是巫术的一个开端。健康官员表示，很难追踪到偏远地区有危险和需要接种疫苗的人。他们对人口密集地区的防策略持谨慎乐观态度。任何坐船到达的乘客要接受体温测量。在刚果河沿岸的人口密集地区，一旦发现有人生病居民们就可以拨打官方电话上报。我们在这里等着，自从有了那个号码，一旦有病情发现我们就会打电话。然后他们就会过来直接在船上喷洒药物。

Health experts say the next two weeks will be critical in determining of the outbreak under control.In the meantime some recipients say at the very least the shot gives them peace of mind.
卫生专家说，未来两周将是确定疫情得到控制的关键。与此同时，一些注射疫苗的人说至少这些疫苗可以为他们带来内心的平和

Julie Taboh VOA News
VOA记者茱莉播报。