vaccinate

[vak-suh-neyt]

verb (used with object)

vaccinated, vaccinating 

1. to inoculate with the vaccine of cowpox so as to render the subject immune to smallpox.

2. to inoculate with the modified virus of any of various other diseases, as a preventive measure.

verb (used without object)

vaccinated, vaccinating 

1. to perform or practice vaccination.

vaccinate

/ ˈvæksɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. to inoculate (a person) with a vaccine so as to produce immunity against a specific disease

Other Word Forms

• prevaccinate verb (used with object)
• revaccinate verb (used with object)
• unvaccinated adjective
• vaccinator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vaccinate¹

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from vaccination

Example Sentences

Taiwanese officials said 95% of patients with severe flu symptoms had not been recently vaccinated.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But local media has reported that the children are not vaccinated and do not go to school, with the parents having failed to submit their request for homeschooling to local authorities.

Read more on Barron's

The WHO and its partners already vaccinated over 10,000 children under the age of three in the first eight days of an initial phase of the campaign launched on November 9.

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About 9 in 10 of those children were not vaccinated, officials said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Some 14.4 million people have been vaccinated, NHS England said, which is slightly more than had been vaccinated at this stage last year.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• immunize 
• inject 
• inoculate 
• protect 
• treat 

When To Use

What’s the difference between vaccinate, inoculate, and immunize?

In the context of medicine, vaccinate, inoculate, and immunize are often used in overlapping ways, and for good reason—they all involve introducing a substance (especially a vaccine) into a person’s body with the goal of preventing them from getting a particular disease.Vaccinate is the most specific of the three terms, because it always involves introducing a vaccine, which usually consists of a small amount of a killed, weakened, or otherwise modified version of a disease (such as a virus or bacterium). While inoculate has other meanings outside the context of medicine, in modern healthcare it’s typically used interchangeably with vaccinate (though it’s used less commonly).Immunize is slightly different—it means to provide immunity from a specific disease. While the goal of vaccinating someone is often to immunize them, not all vaccines provide permanent immunity. Some vaccines provide what amounts to long-term immunity, while others only lead to a temporary protection, after which the body “forgets” how to make certain antibodies. In these cases, a booster shot or dose is often required, consisting of a follow-up vaccination to boost or renew the protection gained from the earlier vaccination.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between vaccinate, inoculate, and immunize.