1. ENGLISH 4 READING
GLOBAL PROBLEMS
How do I protect my child from swine flu?
BBC NEWS, FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8357787.stm
By Carley Bowman
How can I protect my child from swine flu? It is a
question that has kept me awake at night.
For several weeks I have been waiting anxiously for my
G_____ (A1) to call my three-year-old son Ben in for the
vaccine (B1).
But when the call finally came questions flooded into my
mind.
Is it s_____?
(A2) Does he really need it? Will he suffer any
side (B2)-effects? What are the r_____ (A3) if he doesn't
have it?
There will be many families facing the same questions across
the UK.
We are no different, other than my son is one of the first Ben is at risk of complications from
batch of patients (B3) to receive the swine flu va_____ swine flu
(A4) as the immunisation programme rolls out through GP surgeries (B4).
Doctor's advice
r_____ (A5)" group as he has a complex heart condition (B5) and
He is in the priority "at
recently had his airway reconstructed in pioneering sur_____ (A6) at Great Ormond Street
Hospital.
In reality, my son is equally at risk from seasonal I know that giving my son the
influenza (B6). vaccine is in his best interest
He has had the annual fl_____ (A7) vaccine each year of
his life. I have never before questioned whether that is the Advice to pregnant women
right course of action.
I have simply taken the advice of Ben's doctors.
However, it has been very hard to ignore the press coverage over recent weeks and months -
particularly those reports questioning whether the swine flu vaccine is safe or has been fast-
tracked without sufficient time for testing and assessing the potential side-effects (B7) .
As a journalist I have tried to sift through all the information available on swine flu and weigh
up the evidence.
1

2. ENGLISH 4 READING
GLOBAL PROBLEMS
But as a parent it is very difficult to ignore some of the more alarming headlines in the press
and sense of fear the word "pan_____ (A8) " creates.
I know that giving my son the vaccine is in his best interest (B8).
It has undergone significant human tr_____ (A9) and has been approved by the European
Medicines Agency which is responsible for licensing new treatments (B9).
In fact, seasonal flu vaccines follow a similar fast-track system as the medic_____ (A10) has
to be tailored to each new flu outbreak (B10).
But that does not stop me from worrying about making the right decision.
Treading water
I have a lot of experience of paediatric intensive care units, sitting beside my child while he
struggles to fight off one serious inf_____ (A11) after another and praying the drugs
pumping into his body will finally help him turn the corner onto the road of recovery (B11).
In my head and my heart I know I must do everything possible to protect him from that again.
As my _____P (A12) explained, handling this pandemic (B12) is not an exact science but
doctors are acting on the data and information they are able to collate as it runs its course.
They say Ben should have it. I believe they are right.
As a family, we have been treading water for months, not able to send our little boy back to
nurs_____ (A13) as he would be most likely to catch (B13) swine flu there.
We have been unable to socialise comfortably with other people showing cou_____ (A14) and
cold symptoms in case they harbour (B14) the virus.
It feels like danger is everywhere.
vac_____ (A15) is not a complete guarantee but, on
It is tiring. We want our lives back. The
balance, gives Ben the best chance of staying symptom (B15) free - and lowering the stress
levels of his parents.
2

3. ENGLISH 4 READING
GLOBAL PROBLEMS
How do I protect my child from swine flu?
BBC NEWS, FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8357787.stm
By Carley Bowman
How can I protect my child from swine flu? It is a
question that has kept me awake at night.
For several weeks I have been waiting anxiously for my
GP(A1) to call my three-year-old son Ben in for the
va_____(B1).
But when the call finally came questions flooded into my
mind.
Is it safe?
(A2) Does he really need it? Will he suffer any
s_____ (B2)-effects? What are the risks (A3) if he
doesn't have it?
There will be many families facing the same questions
across the UK.
We are no different, other than my son is one of the first Ben is at risk of complications from
batch of pat_____ (B3) to receive the swine flu vaccine swine flu
(A4) as the immunisation programme rolls out through GP surg_____ (B4).
Doctor's advice
risk (A5)" group as he has a complex heart con_____ (B5) and
He is in the priority "at
recently had his airway reconstructed in pioneering surgery (A6) at Great Ormond Street
Hospital.
In reality, my son is equally at risk from seasonal I know that giving my son the
inf_____ (B6). vaccine is in his best interest
He has had the annual flu (A7) vaccine each year of his
life. I have never before questioned whether that is the Advice to pregnant women
right course of action.
I have simply taken the advice of Ben's doctors.
However, it has been very hard to ignore the press coverage over recent weeks and months -
particularly those reports questioning whether the swine flu vaccine is safe or has been fast-
tracked without sufficient time for testing and assessing the potential side-e_____ (B7) .
As a journalist I have tried to sift through all the information available on swine flu and weigh
up the evidence.
3

4. ENGLISH 4 READING
GLOBAL PROBLEMS
But as a parent it is very difficult to ignore some of the more alarming headlines in the press
and sense of fear the word "pandemic (A8) " creates.
I know that giving my son the vaccine is in his best int_____(B8).
It has undergone significant human trials (A9) and has been approved by the European
Medicines Agency which is responsible for licensing new treat_____ (B9).
In fact, seasonal flu vaccines follow a similar fast-track system as the medication (A10)
has to be tailored to each new flu out_____ (B10).
But that does not stop me from worrying about making the right decision.
Treading water
I have a lot of experience of paediatric intensive care units, sitting beside my child while he
struggles to fight off one serious infection (A11) after another and praying the drugs
pumping into his body will finally help him turn the corner onto the road of recov_____
(B11).
In my head and my heart I know I must do everything possible to protect him from that
again.
As my GP (A12) explained, handling this pand_____ (B12) is not an exact science but
doctors are acting on the data and information they are able to collate as it runs its course.
They say Ben should have it. I believe they are right.
As a family, we have been treading water for months, not able to send our little boy back to
nursery (A13) as he would be most likely to c_____ (B13) swine flu there.
We have been unable to socialise comfortably with other people showing cough (A14) and
cold symptoms in case they harb_____ (B14) the virus.
It feels like danger is everywhere.
vaccine (A15) is not a complete guarantee but, on
It is tiring. We want our lives back. The
balance, gives Ben the best chance of staying sy_____ (B15) free - and lowering the stress
levels of his parents.
4

5. ENGLISH 4 READING
GLOBAL PROBLEMS
How do I protect my child from swine flu?
BBC NEWS, FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8357787.stm
By Carley Bowman
How can I protect my child from swine flu?
It is a question that has kept me awake at
night.
For several weeks I have been waiting anxiously
for my GP to call my three-year-old son Ben in
for the vaccine.
But when the call finally came questions flooded
into my mind.
Is it safe? Does he really need it? Will he suffer
any side-effects? What are the risks if he doesn't
have it?
There will be many families facing the same
questions across the UK. Ben is at risk of complications from
We are no different, other than my son is one of swine flu
the first batch of patients to receive the swine flu vaccine as the immunisation
programme rolls out through GP surgeries.
Doctor's advice
He is in the priority "at risk" group as he has a complex heart condition and recently
had his airway reconstructed in pioneering surgery at Great Ormond Street
Hospital.
In reality, my son is equally at risk from I know that giving my son the
seasonal influenza. vaccine is in his best interest
He has had the annual flu vaccine each year of
his life. I have never before questioned whether Advice to pregnant women
that is the right course of action.
I have simply taken the advice of Ben's doctors.
However, it has been very hard to ignore the press coverage over recent weeks and
months - particularly those reports questioning whether the swine flu vaccine is
safe or has been fast-tracked without sufficient time for testing and assessing the
potential side-effects.
As a journalist I have tried to sift through all the information available on swine flu
and weigh up the evidence.
5

6. ENGLISH 4 READING
GLOBAL PROBLEMS
But as a parent it is very difficult to ignore some of the more alarming headlines in
the press and sense of fear the word "pandemic" creates.
I know that giving my son the vaccine is in his best interest.
It has undergone significant human trials and has been approved by the European
Medicines Agency which is responsible for licensing new treatments.
In fact, seasonal flu vaccines follow a similar fast-track system as the medication
has to be tailored to each new flu outbreak.
But that does not stop me from worrying about making the right decision.
Treading water
I have a lot of experience of paediatric intensive care units, sitting beside my child
while he struggles to fight off one serious infection after another and praying the
drugs pumping into his body will finally help him turn the corner onto the road of
recovery.
In my head and my heart I know I must do everything possible to protect him from
that again.
As my GP explained, handling this pandemic is not an exact science but doctors are
acting on the data and information they are able to collate as it runs its course.
They say Ben should have it. I believe they are right.
As a family, we have been treading water for months, not able to send our little boy
back to nursery as he would be most likely to catch swine flu there.
We have been unable to socialise comfortably with other people showing cough and
cold symptoms in case they harbour the virus.
It feels like danger is everywhere.
It is tiring. We want our lives back. The vaccine is not a complete guarantee but, on
balance, gives Ben the best chance of staying symptom free - and lowering the
stress levels of his parents.
6