immunization

[ im-yuh-nuh-zey-shuhn, ih-myoo- ]

noun

1. the fact or process of becoming immune, as against a disease.
2. Finance. a method of protection against fluctuating bond interest rates by investing in securities having different yields and terms.

immunization

/ ĭm′yə-nĭ-zā′shən /

1. The process of inducing immunity to an infectious organism or agent in an individual or animal through vaccination .
2. A vaccination that induces immunity. A recommended schedule of immunizations for infants and young children includes vaccines against diphtheria, polio, tetanus, measles, mumps, and rubella.

immunization

1. The process of inducing immunity , usually through inoculation or vaccination .

Notes

Frequently, schoolchildren are required by state law to be immunized against certain diseases. Because of such widespread immunization, many diseases that used to be fairly common, including smallpox , tetanus , and whooping cough , have become rare.

Other Words From

• hyper·immu·ni·zation noun
• nonim·mu·ni·zation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of immunization¹

First recorded in 1890–95; immunize + -ation

Example Sentences

It raises the possibility that delaying the immunization of children could make them a reservoir of the virus in the population, which could continue to seed further outbreaks.

From MIT Technology Review

Some lacked the proper medical documents and child immunizations required to return, and school staff members were working with them.

From Washington Post

Balancing the timing of cancer treatment and immunization may be a consideration in some cases.

From Washington Post

To record who’s getting vaccines, many states have retrofitted existing systems for tracking children’s immunizations.

From MIT Technology Review

In some places, the unclear relationship between immunization and reopening has helped fuel a vaccine rollout to teachers marked by confusion, conflicting approaches and uncertainty over supply, as is the case in many states nationwide.

From Washington Post

A lot times they're local, at the site of the immunization, where it was given.

From The Daily Beast

It condenses pain into tiny joke pellets, like a mass-immunization that builds tolerance and vigor.

From The Daily Beast

Polio, for example, has been eradicated in the Western hemisphere thanks to a vigorous international immunization program.

From The Daily Beast

The global immunization campaigns carried out since 1988 have eradicated polio completely in most of the world.

From The Daily Beast

There are also alternatives to the MMR that have the same immunization power against measles.

From The Daily Beast

The subject of the lecture is "Artificial Immunization from Disease."

From Project Gutenberg

When I took office, immunization levels for preventable childhood diseases had fallen to 70%.

From Project Gutenberg

(The importanceof early immunization) Public AffairsCommittee.

From Project Gutenberg

The most promising of these is that of Todd , produced by the immunization of suitable animals.

From Project Gutenberg

Immunization Vs. Vaccination Vs. Inoculation

What’s the difference between immunization, vaccination, and inoculation?

In the context of medicine, the words immunization, vaccination, and inoculation 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 immunize, vaccinate, and inoculate.

Quiz yourself on immunization vs. vaccination vs. inoculation!

True or False?

The words immunization, vaccination, and inoculation can be correctly used in some overlapping ways.