vaccination

American  

[vak-suh-ney-shuhn] / ˌvæk səˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

vaccinations plural

1. the act or practice of vaccinating; inoculation with a vaccine.

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vaccination British  

/ ˌvæksɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of vaccinating

2. the scar left following inoculation with a vaccine

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vaccination Scientific  

/ văk′sə-nā′shən /

1. Inoculation with a vaccine in order to protect against a particular disease.

2. A scar left on the skin by vaccinating.

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vaccination Cultural  

1. Inoculation with a vaccine to produce immunity to a particular infectious disease.

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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

Derived Forms

• nonvaccination
  noun
• prevaccination
  noun
• revaccination
  noun
• antivaccination
  adjective
• postvaccination
  adjective
• provaccination
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vaccinations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vaccination

First recorded in 1800–10; vaccine + -ation

Compare meaning

How does vaccination compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• inoculation vs. vaccination
• vaccination vs. immunization

Explanation

Vaccination is the act of getting a shot (a vaccine) to protect you against a certain disease. If you want to protect yourself from catching the mumps, you will need to undergo a vaccination. If you've ever gotten a bad cut or stepped on rusty metal, your doctor has probably asked when you last had a Tetanus shot. A Tetanus shot is a vaccine, a protective dose of medicine that keeps you from getting sick. Some common vaccinations protect against the flu, measles, and whooping cough. The word vaccination comes from vaccine, "related to cows," because the first vaccines, developed to prevent smallpox, were made from a virus called cowpox.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vaccination vaccinations

Nationally, measles vaccination rates have been declining, dropping below the 95% threshold experts say is needed to prevent widespread outbreaks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

In 2000, measles was declared eradicated in the United States, thanks to vaccination.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

A 95 percent vaccination rate with the modern, two-dose MMR shot—so named because it also protects against mumps and rubella—is enough to provide herd immunity from measles.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Its rapid spread illustrates a new normal in the U.S., where falling vaccination rates have made more communities vulnerable to the highly infectious disease that the country declared eliminated more than 25 years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

“With the same rapid replication, the same ability to spread through the air. And then we developed a vaccination for it. Just a temporary one, only lasts for forty-eight hours, but still.”

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

State officials continue to recommend that all individuals age 6 months and older stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

The state’s measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccinations among kindergartens fell nearly 10% over 13 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

The study determined it was a low-cost, easy-to-use tool for rapid, mass vaccinations.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

Donald Trump defended childhood vaccinations during a stop by “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson” on Sunday, saying only that he wished vaccines for infants and toddlers were smaller.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

While the cashier was engraving the tag, we took Klawde over to where they were offering the free vaccinations.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth