vaccination

[ vak-suh-ney-shuhn ]

noun

, Medicine/Medical.

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

vaccination

/ ˌvæksɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of vaccinating
2. the scar left following inoculation with a vaccine

vaccination

/ 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.

vaccination

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

Other Words From

• anti·vacci·nation adjective
• nonvac·ci·nation noun
• postvac·ci·nation adjective
• prevac·ci·nation noun
• provac·ci·nation adjective
• revac·ci·nation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vaccination¹

First recorded in 1800–10; vaccine + -ation

Example Sentences

As was typically the case, Trump offered no further specifics, but all 50 states mandate not only MMR vaccinations, but shots against polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and chicken pox for all schoolchildren.

From Los Angeles Times

There's no vaccination and a specific active ingredient doesn't exist.

From Science Daily

Kennedy and his anti-vaccine nonprofit Children’s Health Defense took the opportunity to spread falsehoods about vaccinations across the island, leading a drastic decline in vaccination rates.

From Salon

The position has a broad remit across the US health industry, including food safety, pharmaceuticals, public health and vaccinations.

From BBC

They can therefore range from hospitals to ambulances to an outdoor vaccination clinic to a pharmaceutical storage facility in a medical clinic.

From Salon

Vaccination vs. Inoculation vs. Immunization

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.

Quiz yourself on vaccination vs. inoculation vs. immunization!

True or False?

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