Word
vaccination
Phoneticsvac·ci·na·tion, stress on the third syllable
US/væksəˈneɪʃən/
UK/vˌæksɪnˈeɪʃən/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. the act of getting a medical treatment, usually a needle, to protect you from a specific disease. It helps your body learn how to fight off germs before you get sick.
n. the administration of a vaccine to stimulate an individual's immune system to develop adaptive immunity against a specific pathogen.
Examples
“The doctor gives the vaccination in the upper arm.”
“Public health officials recommend a flu vaccination every autumn to protect against the most common seasonal strains.”
“Widespread vaccination programs have successfully eradicated smallpox and significantly reduced the global incidence of polio, demonstrating the efficacy of collective preventative medicine.”
Examples
simple
“The doctor gives the vaccination in the upper arm.”
contextual
“Public health officials recommend a flu vaccination every autumn to protect against the most common seasonal strains.”
complex
“Widespread vaccination programs have successfully eradicated smallpox and significantly reduced the global incidence of polio, demonstrating the efficacy of collective preventative medicine.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “vaccination” in context.
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general practice or medical concept; countable when referring to a specific instance or type of shot.
Pitfall
I had a vaccination for the flu
I had a vaccination against the flu
While 'for' is common in casual speech, 'against' is the more precise preposition for protection from a disease.
Etymology
From vaccinia, a cowpox infection. Ultimately from Latin vacca (“cow”). Coined by Edward Jenner (1749-1823) in 1798. Jenner infected people with weakened cowpox viruses (vaccinia), to immunise them against smallpox. It is now known that vaccinia and cow pox are separate conditions, but at the time of Jenner, they were considered the same condition.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/vaccination