A Shot For Public Health Reading Answers

Mar 9, 2023

A Shot For Public Health Reading Answers comprises a total of 13 questions. This IELTS academic reading topic; A Shot For Public Health Reading Answers comprises question types such as; true/ false/ not given, one or two word only, and choose the correct letter. To solve these questions in the IELTS reading topic, candidates must go through the passage carefully and identify the major keywords. A Shot For Public Health Reading Answers are to be solved by the candidates within a timeframe of 20 minutes which remains the same for all the IELTS Reading assessments. To practice more such IELTS reading topics, candidates can refer to the book Practice Tests for IELTS 2 - Volume 2. Moreover, candidates might consider IELTS Reading practice papers to practice such relevant questions.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

A Shot For Public Health Reading Answers

Millions of elderly people in the US, Europe and elsewhere get injections for their annual flu shots this month. It is widely seen as a largely effective public health programme which halves the risk of dying over the winter among people aged 65 or over. Actually, for every 200 vaccinations, one life is saved. However, there is overwhelming evidence that this claim is too good to be true, and we must look for additional ways to prevent the flu.

According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu kills approximately 36,000 people every winter in the US. Of them, about 30,000 are aged 65 or over. This is about 5% of the 650,000 winter deaths per year in this age group. Flu itself is never recorded as a cause of death: instead, it leads to the elderly dying from other causes, like bacterial pneumonia, heart disease or a stroke.

Most rich countries are concentrated on cutting this figure by vaccinating those who are at the highest risk, but how well does this actually work? The best way to carry out research in trials that compare those who are vaccinated against those who aren't, with applicants allocated randomly from each group. But as flu shots are known to be an advantage, it would be unethical to deny some people vaccinations. Researchers compared those who choose to be vaccinated with those who don't. then, they use the statistical methods of control to observe the differences between the two groups. One large meta-analysis of such studies concluded that those who get flu shots are half as likely to die as their unvaccinated peers over the winter. Several other studies have come to a similar conclusion.

It sounds possibly a bit too good to be true. In 2005, Lone Simonsen, a researcher at George Washington University, and her colleagues showed that the number of flu deaths among the elderly in the US has remained at about 5% of deaths in the group during winter. Vaccination coverage has skyrocketed from about 15% in 1980 to about 70% today. So how could flu vaccination be preventing half of the deaths in winter, when the flu accounted for only 5% of those deaths back in 1980, when most people were not vaccinated?

Also, in 2006 epidemiologist Lisa Jackson and her colleagues at the Centre for Health Statistics in Seattle analysed a Seattle medical database using the same statistical methods as the previous studies. It showed that the maximum benefit of having the flu shot happened in the months before the season of flu even started.

Jackson insisted that the studies failed to give an account of ill and weak elderly people who had died but were less inclined to be vaccinated, making vaccination seem more valuable than it actually is.

But the debate was not over. Last year Kristin Nichol and her colleagues from the University of Minnesota published a dissertation using slightly different statistical methods and included records from tens of thousands of patients in three cities over 10 years. It came to the same incredible conclusion that vaccination was preventing about half of all deaths in winter. Researchers like Simonsen, Jackson and myself estimated Nichol's methods. Also, we believe this finding is subject to the sort of bias already identified by Jackson.

Last week Simonsen and Nichol discussed the issue at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Washington Dc. Nichol accepted that although there might still be some bias in her latest survey, flu deaths are estimated indirectly, especially when counting extra deaths beyond those expected in winter. Researchers may have underestimated the number of people who have died as a result of the flu.

In conclusion, we need to improve our statistical methods for measuring the effectiveness of the flu vaccine. This issue has much wider implications as similar methods are used to analyse other areas in which randomised trials are not possible. For example, the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering statins for pneumonia patients is also analysed in this way.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 14-20:
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?

In boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

About 3,600 people are dying from the flu every winter in the Us.

Answer: False
Supporting sentence: According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu kills approximately 36,000 people every winter in the US. Of them, about 30,000 are aged 65 or over.
Keywords: US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 36,000, 30,000
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 1-2
Explanation: Every winter in the US, around 36,000 individuals lose their lives due to the flu, as stated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The majority of the fatalities, approximately 30,000, are individuals who are aged 65 or older.

Although flu itself is seldom a disease that causes death, it can make people age quicker.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There has been no mention of the relevant information associated with the question above.

Lots of rich countries have successfully carried out a high-quality vaccination programme.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There has been no mention of the relevant information associated with the question above.

Flu shots should be useful for prescription but it may be immoral to hold back vaccination.

Answer: True
Supporting sentence: But as flu shots are known to be an advantage, it would be unethical to deny some people vaccinations. Researchers compared those who choose to be vaccinated with those who don't. then, they use the statistical methods of control to observe the differences between the two groups.
Keywords: flu shots, advantage, vaccinations
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, lines 4-7
Explanation: It would be considered unethical to withhold flu vaccinations from certain individuals since getting vaccinated is known to be beneficial in preventing the flu. To study the effects of vaccination, researchers conducted a comparison between those who chose to receive the flu shot and those who did not. They then utilized statistical methods of control to observe and analyze the differences between the two groups.

From meta-analysis, those who get the flu shot are fifty per cent less likely to die than their unvaccinated peers.

Answer: True
Supporting sentence: One large meta-analysis of such studies concluded that those who get flu shots are half as likely to die as their unvaccinated peers over the winter. Several other studies have come to a similar conclusion.
Keywords: meta-analysis, flu shots, half, unvaccinated peers
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, lines 7-9
Explanation: A comprehensive meta-analysis of multiple studies on flu vaccinations was conducted. It has determined that individuals who receive the flu shot are 50% less likely to die compared to their unvaccinated peers during the winter. Numerous other studies have also reported similar findings.

Lone Simonsen indicated how many people died from flu among the young.

Answer: False
Supporting sentence: It sounds possibly a bit too good to be true. In 2005, Lone Simonsen, a researcher at George Washington University, and her colleagues showed that the number of flu deaths among the elderly in the US has remained at about 5% of deaths in the group during winter.
Keywords: Lone Simonsen, George Washington University, 5%
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 1-3
Explanation: The claim of flu shots reducing the likelihood of death during winter by 50% may sound overly optimistic. In 2005, Lone Simonsen and a team of researchers at George Washington University conducted a study which revealed the percentage of flu-related deaths. It is among elderly individuals in the US that remains steady at around 5% of total deaths in the group during the winter.

The time for the highest level of efficacy of the flu shot turned out within the weeks previous to the flu season.

Answer: False
Supporting sentence: It showed that the maximum benefit of having the flu shot happened in the months before the season of flu even started.
Keywords: maximum, flu shot, season
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 3-4
Explanation: The study indicated that the greatest advantage of receiving the flu shot was observed in the months preceding the onset of the flu season.

Questions 21-25:
Classify the following statements as being

US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
George Washington University in Washington DC
Centre for Health Statistics in Seattle
University of Minnesota in Minneapolis

Write the appropriate letters A-D in boxes 21-25 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

Vaccination extent has maximised.

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: It sounds possibly a bit too good to be true. In 2005, Lone Simonsen, a researcher at George Washington University, and her colleagues showed that the number of flu deaths among the elderly in the US has remained at about 5% of deaths in the group during winter.
Keywords: Lone Simonsen, George Washington University, 5%
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 1-3
Explanation: The claim that flu shots can reduce the likelihood of death during winter by 50% may seem too optimistic. In 2005, Lone Simonsen and a team of researchers at George Washington University conducted a study which revealed the percentage of flu-related deaths. It is among elderly individuals in the US that remains steady at around 5% of total deaths in the group during the winter.

Seattle medical database was analysed using a statistical method.

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: Also, in 2006 epidemiologist Lisa Jackson and her colleagues at the Centre for Health Statistics in Seattle analysed a Seattle medical database using the same statistical methods as the previous studies.
Keywords: epidemiologist, Lisa Jackson, Seattle, medical database
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 1–3
Explanation: In 2006, Lisa Jackson, an epidemiologist, and her colleagues at the Centre for Health Statistics in Seattle conducted an analysis of a medical database. It was in Seattle using the same statistical methods employed in prior studies.

Around 83 per cent of flu-related fatalities is in the over-65 age group.

Answer: A
Supporting sentence: According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu kills approximately 36,000 people every winter in the US. Of them, about 30,000 are aged 65 or over.
Keywords: US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 36,000, 30,000
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 1-2
Explanation: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that around 36,000 individuals lose their lives due to the flu every winter in the US. Among them, approximately 30,000 are individuals aged 65 or older.

Vaccination was able to prevent about fifty per cent of all winter deaths.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: One large meta-analysis of such studies concluded that those who get flu shots are half as likely to die as their unvaccinated peers over the winter. Several other studies have come to a similar conclusion.
Keywords: meta-analysis, flu shots, half, unvaccinated peers
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, lines 7-9
Explanation: A comprehensive meta-analysis of multiple studies on flu vaccinations was conducted. It has determined that individuals who receive the flu shot are 50% less likely to die compared to their unvaccinated peers during the winter. Several other studies have also reported similar findings.

The flu deaths account for five per cent of annual winter deaths in the age group of 65 or Over.

Answer: A
Supporting sentence: It sounds possibly a bit too good to be true. In 2005, Lone Simonsen, a researcher at George Washington University, and her colleagues showed that the number of flu deaths among the elderly in the US has remained at about 5% of deaths in the group during winter.
Keywords: Lone Simonsen, George Washington University, 5%
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 1-3
Explanation: The claim that flu shots can reduce the likelihood of death during winter by 50% may appear too good to be true. In 2005, Lone Simonsen, a researcher at George Washington University. And her colleagues demonstrated the percentage of flu-related deaths among elderly individuals. In the US remained constant at around 5% of total deaths in the group during winter.

Questions 26-27:
Answer the questions below with words taken from Reading Passage.
Use ONEor TWO WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 26 and 27 on your answer sheet.

What is ONE of several diseases recorded as a cause of death if the elderly have the flu?

Answer: bacterial pneumonia/heart disease/stroke
Supporting sentence: Flu itself is never recorded as a cause of death: instead, it leads to the elderly dying from other causes, like bacterial pneumonia, heart disease or a stroke.
Keywords: death, elderly, bacterial pneumonia,
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 3-5
Explanation: Flu is never listed as the direct cause of death, as it usually leads to other complications. It can be fatal for elderly individuals, such as bacterial pneumonia, heart disease, or stroke.

What percentage of the vaccination coverage is recently maximised by the research of Lone Simonsen?

Answer: about 70%
Supporting sentence: Vaccination coverage has skyrocketed from about 15% in 1980 to about 70% today
Keywords: Vaccination, skyrocketed, 15%
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 3-4
Explanation: The percentage of people who receive vaccinations has increased significantly from approximately 15% in 1980 to around 70% presently.

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