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

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 Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vaccination¹

First recorded in 1800–10; vaccine + -ation

Example Sentences

An activist group he ran for eight years, Children's Health Defense, repeatedly questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccination.

From BBC

Kennedy’s handling of vaccinations and his departmental firings have earned the ire of a bipartisan group of legislators.

From Salon

Ladapo said that the state is not banning vaccinations and said he hopes residents make “informed decisions” about which vaccines to receive.

From Salon

In the absence of a clear strategy to deal with the problem, experts believe that sterilisation and vaccination remain the best long-term solutions for containing Delhi's dog population.

From BBC

Although I took precautions from the beginning, with masking and vaccinations, I was also out in public a lot for work and travel.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

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.