Vaccination Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Cultural

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

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Examples

Synonyms vaccination American [vak-suh-ney-shuhn] / ˌvæk səˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

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

vaccination British / ˌvæksɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of vaccinating

2. the scar left following inoculation with a vaccine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 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.

vaccination Cultural

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

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

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

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.

The global cholera vaccine supply is finally high enough to allow regular vaccination campaigns to resume after a three-year halt, the World Health Organization and partners said Wednesday.

From Barron's

People who visited the amusement park during that time have been advised to check their immunity status, talk to their healthcare provider about vaccination and immunity status.

From Los Angeles Times

The department is now working to identify people who may have been in contact with the individual and are checking their vaccination status.

From Los Angeles Times

While the number of cases does not directly affect the elimination status, it can show a pattern of reduced vaccination and likelihood of more outbreaks.

From Salon

Matt Motta, a policy researcher and associate professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health, has spent years researching attitudes toward vaccination in humans and animals.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.