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in

Liberal Studies
Personal Development &
Interpersonal Relationships

Hong Kong Today

Modern China

Energy Technology &

the Environment

Globalisation

Public Health
th

Dengue fever vaccine in trials

Results in Asian countries showing great promise

A dengue fever vaccine could be available next year, according to the vaccine makers.

FOUR-in-one vaccine against

dengue fever could be available for the first time as early
as next year. The disease has put 1.8 billion
people at risk in Asia alone.
Sanofi Pasteur, a unit of French firm Sanofi, said its vaccine is made from a live dengue
virus. It is delivered under the skin. The vaccine
is able to protect children against the four closely related viruses transmitted by the Aedes
mosquito.
A late-stage trial involving 10,000 children
aged two to 14 showed a significant reduction
of 56 percent of dengue cases, Sanofi announced. The trial was done in Thailand (),
Vietnam (), Malaysia (), the Philip-

(Sing Tao Daily)

pines () and Indonesia ().

The company is awaiting results of a
similar trial on 20,000 children in several Latin
American () countries.
It said initial safety data are consistent
with the good safety profile observed in earlier trials.
The government said last month that Hong
Kong is at risk of an outbreak of dengue fever.
It is because of climate change and an increase
of the disease transmitted by mosquitoes in
neighbouring countries.
A full analysis of the trial data will be undertaken in the coming weeks and reviewed by
external experts.

Key Idea
A French firm said it has made
a four-in-one vaccine against
dengue fever. The vaccine could
be available for the first time
next year at the earliest. Latestage trials involving children
aged two to 14 were carried out
in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia,
the Philippines and Indonesia.
The company is waiting for
results of a similar trial on
20,000 children in several Latin
American countries. It said initial
safety data are consistent with
the good safety profile.

Friday 2 May 2014

Text : Anvil Ong
Photos : Sing Tao Daily

P03

Vocabulary

Reading Comprehension

M : Meaning

Choose the best answer:

1. Why is the vaccine referred to as
four-in-one?

4. Late-stage trials are also being

carried out in...

A. it is only 25 percent effective

B. it has to be applied every four years
C. it is four times cheaper than the old
vaccine
D. it can protect against four viruses

A. several Latin American countries

B. Africa
C. Hong Kong
D. China

2. The late-stage trial of the vaccine

was carried out in...
A. Thailand
B. Japan
C. Laos
D. Cambodia

3. What has increased the risk of

dengue fever in Hong Kong?
A. smartphones
B. fatty food
C. climate change
D. tall buildings

Knowledge

E : Example

1 vaccine (n)
M: a substance given to a person or animal to
prevent them from getting a disease
E: There is still no vaccine against HIV infection.
E: Vaccines were delivered to the flooded area
to prevent the spread of diseases.

2 transmit (v)
5. We are awaiting ____ a parcel from
the US.

M: pass something from one person to another

A. as
B. for
C. to
D. no word is needed

E: Cholera is transmitted through unclean

water.

E: Mosquitoes can transmit dengue fever.

3 reduction (n)
M: making something less or smaller

6. Hong Kong should be prepared

for an _____ of dengue fever.
A. happening
B. occurrence
C. repeat
D. outbreak

E: We notice huge price reductions in the

property market.
E: There has been no noticeable reduction in
traffic after the new MTR line opened.

4 trial (n)
M: a test to see if something works and is safe
E: The new vaccine is undergoing a trial in
different countries.
Answers on P12

E: This is just a trial run. The real thing is

tomorrow.

5 initial (adj)
A vaccine usually contains an agent
similar to the disease-causing virus
or bacteria, but weakened or killed.
The agent stimulates the bodys
immune system to recognise it as
foreign, destroy it, and remember it,
so that the system can more easily
recognise and destroy any such
viruses or bacteria that come later.

M: happening at the beginning

E: He made an initial payment of $5,000.
E: We had to deal with many problems in the
initial stages.

6 consistent (adj)
M: having the same opinions, standards, etc
E: We must be consistent in applying the rules.

LS in a nutshell

Learning Card

E: There has been consistent improvement in

his work.

7 observe (v)
Are there any special features
on Aedes mosquitoes?

They usually have black and white

stripes on their body and legs.

M: see and notice

E: She observed that everyone in the room was
wearing a hat.
E: We have to observe the details.