vaccination
Americannoun
noun
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the act of vaccinating
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the scar left following inoculation with a vaccine
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Inoculation with a vaccine in order to protect against a particular disease.
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A scar left on the skin by vaccinating.
Usage
What’s the difference between vaccination, inoculation, and immunization? In the context of medicine, the words vaccination, inoculation, and immunization are often used in overlapping ways, and for good reason—they all involve the process of introducing a substance (especially a vaccine) into a person’s body with the goal of preventing them from getting a particular disease.Vaccination 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 inoculation has other meanings outside the context of medicine, in modern healthcare it’s typically used interchangeably with vaccination (though it’s used less commonly).Immunization is slightly different—it refers to the process of providing 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.Both vaccination and inoculation can refer to a shot or dose, as opposed to the process of providing or receiving such doses, as in I’m scheduled to get a vaccination on Friday. The word immunization can be used in the same way to refer to such a vaccination when it’s one that provides immunity, as in Have you received all of your immunizations?Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between vaccinate, inoculate, and immunize.
Other Word Forms
- antivaccination adjective
- nonvaccination noun
- postvaccination adjective
- prevaccination noun
- provaccination adjective
- revaccination noun
Etymology
Origin of vaccination
Compare meaning
How does vaccination compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After vaccination, each mouse was exposed to a respiratory virus.
From Science Daily
Specifically, it will discuss the “wording of the age for routine HPV vaccination,” vaccination schedule, and draft policy recommendations.
From Salon
Low vaccination rates mean the disease has been able to spread in the city, mainly among children under 10 years old.
From BBC
In the short-term this includes mass vaccination in the worst-affected areas before extending it to the majority of the national herd, estimated to number around 14 million animals.
From BBC
Concerned individuals should confirm whether they have protection against the virus, either through past measles vaccinations or infections.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
