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Source: learningenglish.voanews.com

Tags: special-english

1. US Opens Investigation into School Mask Bans 7:06
2. Taliban Announces Interim Government, Breaks up Protests 5:10
3. How Wetlands Help Protect Louisiana from Powerful Ocean Storms 4:45
4. Europe Reports Warmest Summer on Record 4:41
5. Texas Abortion Law Forces Women to Go Out of State for Help 5:57
6. Could the US Regulate What Americans Eat? 4:40
7. Companies Worry about Risks as Earth Orbit Gets Crowded 5:59
8. Germany’s Merkel Prepares to Step Down with Record of Dealing with Crises 5:36
9. Birds of Prey in Decline with Loss of Habitat 5:12
10. Brazil Water Study Raises Fears for Drought 9:07
11. Study: Mars Missions Should Be Limited to 4 Years to Protect from Radiation 6:16
12. Labor Day: Will American Workers Be Stronger Because of the Pandemic? 8:22
13. Salvadorans Concerned about President’s Plan to Use Bitcoin 5:43
14. Brazilian Snake Venom Could Help Fight COVID-19, Study Says 2:46
15. Japanese Artist Makes Life-like Cardboard Sculptures 2:44
16. How Important Is Tenure in Higher Education? 9:23
17. Bed Expressions 6:15
18. Researchers Discover World’s Northernmost Island 2:47
19. Video Calls Help Officers Deal with Mental Health Crises 6:05
20. China’s Technology Workers Get Unions 6:34
21. What Are ‘Clergymen’? 3:31
22. A New Hero Is the Star of Marvel’s 25th Film 3:21
23. Pianists Learn to Play with an Extra Robotic Thumb 3:18
24. In Kabul, Some Fear Economic Collapse More Than Taliban Rule 4:48
25. Japan’s Prime Minister Suga to Leave Office 4:38
26. US Supreme Court Leaves Texas Law Restricting Abortions in Place 7:02
27. Afghans Face Hunger Crisis, Other Problems under Taliban 6:37
28. South Korea Limits Google, Apple’s Control Over App Sales 7:01
29. Frenchwoman Officially Considered Dead Fights to be ‘Alive’ Again 3:47
30. China Limits Children’s Video Game Playing to 3 Hours a Week 6:18
31. UN Agency: Weather Disasters Becoming More Common and Costly 3:51
32. Taiwan Report Says Chinese Forces Could ‘Paralyze’ its Defenses 4:55
33. Egypt Discovery Shows How Ancient Whales Moved from Land to Sea 3:14
34. American Companies Rent Robots to Small Factories 4:50
35. Billions in Aid Given to US Schools with Few Requirements 8:35
36. Afghan Woman with Top Test Score Worries About Future 4:02
37. Cancer Patients’ Own Cells Used to Test Treatments 3:13
38. Temporary Work Apps Gain Popularity During the Pandemic 7:05
39. Swiss Ski Area Uses Blankets to Prevent Ice Melt 3:10
40. How to Survive When You Lose Money 6:55
41. Japan Suspends Use of Some Moderna Vaccine Supply 4:00
42. Some Indonesian Students Return to School, at a Distance 5:11
43. 100,000 More COVID Deaths to Come Unless US Changes 6:59
44. US Evacuations from Afghanistan Continue in Final Hours 6:17
45. Study Shows Wildfire Smoke Can Make Clouds Drop Less Rain 6:06
46. Asian American Bakeries Mix Together Cultures to Create New Foods 5:58
47. Ginkgo Leaves Teach Scientists About Climate During Dinosaurs Days 5:53
48. Palestinian Brothers Open Restaurant in Old Airplane 6:02
49. Self-Driving Cars Still Require Human Operators 4:35
50. Classes Starting, But International Students Failing to Get US Visas 7:01
51. ‘Heyday’ Is The Best of Times 3:52
52. How to Garden When You Have Too Much Water 5:52
53. Josephine Baker: First Black Woman to Get Paris Burial Honor 3:29
54. Llama Antibodies Could Help in Fight Against Coronavirus 3:29
55. America’s People and American People 2:53
56. Students, Teachers Worry about the Future of Music in Afghanistan 6:28
57. Scientists Make Genetic Map of Lake Trout 4:30
58. US Presses on With Evacuations After Airport Attacks 5:42
59. At 60, Peace Corps Plans Return to World after Virus 7:01
60. City Gardening Expands in US During Pandemic 6:19
61. South Africa Club Teaches Township Youth Kayaking 4:16
62. 12 US Troops Among Those Killed in Kabul Airport Attack 6:30
63. Tesla Plans to Build Human-like Robot by Next Year 6:01
64. What Is ‘Havana Syndrome?’ 5:49
65. US Vice President Urges Vietnam to Help ‘Pressure’ China in South China Sea Dispute 5:57
66. School Gardening Becomes More Popular in US 4:54
67. Pandemic Speeds US Rise in Virtual Schools 8:55
68. Growing Cities in Western US Search for Water 5:56
69. Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts Dies 4:05
70. Elon Musk’s Satellites Send Internet into Distant Chilean Village 5:01
71. Robot Guides Visitors Through Greek Cave 4:48
72. Costly Housing Forces Some to Live in Vehicles 6:53
73. FDA Gives Full Approval to Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine 6:20
74. Lockdowns in Place in Vietnam Ahead of VP Kamala Harris’ Visit 5:00
75. Five-Year-Old Boy Completes Appalachian Trail With Parents 5:27
76. North Carolina Plans to Raise Marriage Age to 16 4:53
77. Gene Editing Used to Block Mosquitos’ Ability to Identify Targets 6:06
78. Pandemic Changes How Future Teachers Are Trained 4:06
79. Horse Roundups Amid Drought Create Debate 4:34
80. Dry Rivers Threaten Production of Clean Energy 6:59
81. Electric Car Companies Seek Low-Cost Production Methods 7:17
82. Face Coverings, Vaccines, Selected Online Classes Await University Students 7:06
83. Dutch Museum Has Art Show for People with Vision Issues 2:24
84. Broadway Returns with New Investors, Big Plans 5:45
85. Visiting Alaska’s Distant Aleutian Islands 6:17
86. Ivory Coast Man Turns Old Flip-Flops into Artwork 4:36
87. Cave Lion Cub Found in Siberia Is 28,000 Years Old 2:52
88. 14-Year-Old Becomes Youngest to Swim across Large US Lake 5:55
89. US Investigates Crashes Involving Tesla Cars Using ‘Autopilot’ 7:13
90. US Rural Population Losses Add to Farm Labor Shortages 5:31
91. What Can One Person Do About Global Warming? 4:46
92. Fires Increase on Pacific Islands 5:12
93. US Health Officials Looking at COVID Booster Shot 4:29
94. Workers Try to Flee Vietnam’s Biggest City 3:59
95. Lunch Containers Get Attention as Students Go Back to School 6:02
96. Search, Rescue Efforts Continue After Powerful Haiti Quake 6:45
97. Census Shows US Is Diversifying, White Population Dropping 6:06
98. NASA: New Data on Asteroid Bennu Still Suggests Possible Threat to Earth 6:10
99. Paying Real Money for Virtual Clothing 5:41
100. Cave Paintings Show Neanderthals Were Artists 2:35
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U.S. health experts are likely to say that everyone should get a COVID‑19 booster shot about eight months after their second dose, so the protection lasts longer while the Delta variant spreads. The decision is being studied now, using data from the United States and from countries such as Israel, where early research showed the vaccine’s power to stop serious illness had fallen a few months after the first shots. The booster would first be offered to people at higher risk, like health‑care workers, older adults and those in nursing homes, and the FDA must give its final approval before it is given. Some other countries are also talking about boosters, but the World Health Organization says richer nations should wait and help give first doses to people in poorer countries.

  • booster
    • Definition: An additional COVID‑19 vaccine dose given months after the initial series to extend protection.
    • Example: The health experts plan to recommend a booster for all Americans eight months after their second shot.
  • variant
    • Definition: A mutated form of the virus that spreads more quickly and may affect vaccine effectiveness.
    • Example: The Delta variant is spreading across the country and prompting discussions of boosters.
  • waning
    • Definition: The gradual decrease in the vaccine’s ability to prevent infection over time.
    • Example: Collins warned that the vaccine may start waning in its effectiveness against the Delta variant.
  • breakthrough
    • Definition: A COVID‑19 infection that occurs in a person who has been fully vaccinated.
    • Example: The rise in “breakthrough infections” shows that some vaccinated people are still contracting the virus.
  • FDA
    • Definition: The U.S. agency that must give official approval before additional vaccine doses can be administered.
    • Example: The FDA has only granted emergency approval for Pfizer‑BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
  1. How many months after the second COVID‑19 vaccine dose is the booster planned to be given?
    1. Six months
    2. Seven months
    3. Eight months
    4. Nine months
  2. Which groups are mentioned as possibly being among the first to receive the booster?
    1. People with weakened immune systems
    2. Health care workers, older people, and nursing‑home residents
    3. Children under twelve
    4. Teachers and school staff
  3. Which country is offering a booster shot to all people over 60?
    1. United States
    2. Israel
    3. United Kingdom
    4. Canada
  4. What type of approval has the FDA given to the COVID‑19 vaccines so far?
    1. Full approval for all three vaccines
    2. Emergency use approval for Pfizer‑BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson
    3. No approval at all
    4. Full approval only for the Pfizer shot
  5. What do World Health Organization officials suggest wealthier nations should do regarding booster shots?
    1. Accelerate booster distribution domestically
    2. Delay boosters and prioritize vaccinating unvaccinated people in developing countries
    3. Stop all COVID‑19 vaccinations
    4. Develop new vaccine variants first
  • Do you think booster shots should be given to everyone in the United States? Why or why not?
  • Have you or anyone you know already received a COVID‑19 booster? Share your experience.
  • What could happen if the booster shots are delayed until next year?
  • Why do you think the Delta variant makes booster shots more important?
  • The World Health Organization says richer countries should wait to give boosters and help poorer nations first. Do you agree with this suggestion? Explain.
  • Should health‑care workers be the first group to receive boosters? Why or why not?
  • Imagine you are a news reporter announcing the booster plan. Write a short headline for the story.
  • If the booster shot turned out to be ineffective against the Delta variant, what would be the next step for health officials?
  • How might Israel’s experience with boosters influence the United States’ decision?
  • In your view, what is the biggest challenge in convincing people to get a booster shot?
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0:00 / 4:29 -4:29

100
2 years, 3 months and 12 days ago Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2)

US Health Officials Looking at COVID Booster Shot

United States health experts are expected to recommend additional COVID-19 vaccine shots for all Americans. The additional injection, called a booster, would be given eight months after a person received their second shot of the vaccine.

The goal of this move is to provide longer-lasting protection as the Delta variant of the virus spreads across the country.

Federal health officials have been studying whether booster shots for the vaccinated would be needed as early as this autumn. They reviewed case numbers in the U.S. as well as the situation in other countries such as Israel. Early studies in Israel suggest the vaccine’s protection against serious illness dropped among those vaccinated in January.

Two people who know about the matter talked with The Associated Press. They expect an announcement on the booster recommendation this week.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, would have to officially approve the COVID-19 vaccines before additional injections could be given. At this time, the FDA has only given emergency approval for vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Full approval of the Pfizer shot is expected in the coming weeks.


Last week, U.S. health officials recommended boosters for some with weakened immune systems. The group includes people who have a higher risk of catching the virus such as cancer patients and organ transplant recipients. Among them, there is evidence that vaccines provide less protection over time.

The director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Francis Collins, said Sunday the U.S. could decide in the coming weeks whether to offer booster shots to Americans this fall.

Among the first to receive them could be health care workers, older people and those in nursing homes . Because of their higher risk of catching the virus, they were some of the first Americans to be vaccinated last December.

Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, more than 198 million Americans have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. Still, the U.S. is seeing a large increase of virus cases from the fast-spreading Delta variant in unvaccinated communities. The variant is also responsible for an increasing number of so-called “breakthrough infections” of fully vaccinated people.

Israel has one of the world’s highest vaccination rates with the Pfizer shot. It is trying to control the increase of cases from the Delta variant by offering a booster shot to all people over 60. And European health officials said they are talking with vaccine developers about the need for boosters.

NIH head Collins said, “There is a concern that the vaccine may start to wane in its effectiveness.” He noted that the Delta variant is difficult to deal with. Collins continued, “The combination of those two means we may need boosters.”

Health officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have asked wealthier and more-vaccinated countries to delay the booster shots. They feel it would be better to give shots to unvaccinated people in the developing world.

I’m Jill Robbins.

Zeke Miller reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

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