Rotavirus vaccine saves young lives | Bangkok Post: learning

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Diarrhoea deaths have fallen by almost half after rotavirus vaccination began early-adopter countries such as Mexico.

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Opinion
HEALTH

Rotavirus vaccine saves young lives

27/09/2012
Tony Nelson & Zulkifli Ismail

... Diarrhoea is a major killer and cause of illness in children throughout Asia, and rotavirus is a leading cause of diarrhoea. However, thanks to immunisation efforts, this is changing. Many of the illnesses and deaths caused by rotavirus can be prevented with rotavirus vaccines.

... The government is taking important steps to ensure children are protected from diarrhoea with the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Sukhothai province. It is an important step toward adopting the World Health Organisation's recommendation that all countries include rotavirus vaccines in their national immunisation programmes. Thailand is joining nearly 40 other countries around the world that have already adopted this recommendation....

....As doctors and researchers, we have studied the evidence and know the difference rotavirus vaccines make in children's lives. In the countries where these vaccines have been introduced, there have been dramatic reductions in severe diarrhoea. Overall, diarrhoea-related hospital admissions from any cause have fallen over 35% and hospital admissions due to rotavirus by around 70%, and when hospitals become less crowded, doctors and nurses have more time to care for other patients.

Even more dramatic is the evidence that diarrhoea deaths have fallen by almost half following the introduction of rotavirus vaccines in some early-adopter countries, such as Mexico.  

Throughout the Asian region, rotavirus causes an estimated 500 child deaths each day and is responsible for more than 40% of diarrhoea-related hospitalisations in children under age five.... 

Dr Tony Nelson is a professor in the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Department of Paediatrics. Dr Zulkifli Ismail is a consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist at KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital in Malaysia. Dr Nelson and Dr Ismail are members of the Rotavirus Organisation of Technical Allies (ROTA) Council 

(Source: Bangkok Post, Opinion, HEALTH, Rotavirus vaccine saves young lives, 27/09/2012, Tony Nelson & Zulkifli Ismail, link) 


Vaccination Vocabulary

rotavirus - the most common cause of severe diarrhoea among infants and young children (See Wikipedia)

diarrhoea - when a person is sick and passing watery solid waste from body many times (See Wikipedia)

infant mortality - the number of babies that die in a country, with better healthcare this has decreased over time (See Wikipedia and Country ranking)

vaccine - an injection to prevent a disease; a substance which contains a form that is not harmful of a virus or bacterium (= extremely small organism) and which is given to a person or animal to prevent them from getting the disease which the virus or bacterium causes วัคซีน (See Wikipedia)

rotavirus vaccine - (See Wikipedia)

vaccination - to give someone a vaccine, usually by injection, to prevent them from getting a disease การฉีดวัคซีน (See Wikipedia)
immunisation (noun) - putting a substance into a person's body (usually by injection) to prevent disease
immunize (verb)

diarrhoea deaths have fallen by almost half
diarrhoea is a major killer and cause of illness

rotavirus is a leading cause of diarrhoea
many deaths can be prevented with rotavirus vaccines

efforts - people trying to accomplish something, the work done towards achieving some goal ความพยายาม
immunisation efforts

thanks to ... - because of ....
thanks to immunisation efforts this is changing

ensure - to make certain that something happens or is done รับรอง ให้ความมั่นใจ ให้การยืนยัน
adopting - accepting or starting to use something new นำมาใช้
recommendation - a suggestion or advice for how to solve a problem, deal with a situation ข้อเสนอแนะ คำแนะนำ หรือข้อเสนอแนะ

The government is taking important steps to ensure children are protected from diarrhoea with the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Sukhothai province. It is an important step toward adopting the World Health Organisation's recommendation that all countries include rotavirus vaccines in their national immunisation programmes. Thailand is joining nearly 40 other countries around the world that have already adopted this recommendation....

evidence - information that shows and proves something to be true หลักฐาน
studied the evidence and know the difference rotavirus vaccines make in children's lives

introduce - start using something for the first time (in a new situation) 
introduce vaccines
where these vaccines have been introduced

severe - very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง
severe diarrhea

dramatic - a sudden, surprising or very big and easy to see (notice) change
Even more dramatic is ...

dramatic reductions
dramatic reductions in severe diarrhoea

adopt - start using some new techcology  (new device or way of doing something) 
adopt recommendation

adopter - a person who "adopts" something new
early-adopter - a person who starts using some new technology before others (early)

hospital admissions - when people enter a hospital (to be treated for some serious disease)
diarrhoea-related hospital admissions
hospital admissions due to rotavirus

hospitalisations - when people have to stay in a hospital (because of some serious disease)
diarrhoea-related hospitalisations in children under age five.... 

....As doctors and researchers, we have studied the evidence and know the difference rotavirus vaccines make in children's lives. In the countries where these vaccines have been introduced, there have been dramatic reductions in severe diarrhoea. Overall, diarrhoea-related hospital admissions from any cause have fallen over 35% and hospital admissions due to rotavirus by around 70%, and when hospitals become less crowded, doctors and nurses have more time to care for other patients.

Even more dramatic is the evidence that diarrhoea deaths have fallen by almost half following the introduction of rotavirus vaccines in some early-adopter countries, such as Mexico. Throughout the Asian region, rotavirus causes an estimated 500 child deaths each day and is responsible for more than 40% of diarrhoea-related hospitalisations in children under age five....

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