You may see inoculate, immunize, and vaccinate used interchangeably, but in the context of infection and immunity these words have different meanings.
Inoculate means introducing a substance (a vaccine, microorganism, or cell) into a person, laboratory animal, or even culture medium.
Example: Tissues culture cells were inoculated with an experimental HIV vaccine to test its preliminary safety.
Immunize refers to the act of administering a vaccine, antigen, or antibody to a person so that the person’s immune system mounts a response.
Example: Children are immunized with the MMR vaccine to induce protective immunity against the measles, mumps, and rubella.
Vaccinate means giving a vaccine to a person or animal to prevent an infectious disease.
Example: Children 12 through 15 months can be vaccinated with the first dose of the MMR vaccine.
You may know that measles, one of the diseases that can be prevented by the MMR vaccine, is a highly contagious viral illness that has recently been making headlines because of outbreaks in the United States, Europe, and Malaysia, among other countries. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has raised concerns about the global increase in measles cases and has issued a travel health advisory.
People who have not been fully vaccinated or have never been infected with measles are susceptible to contracting the disease, particularly while traveling or when coming in contact with unvaccinated children. Discover more about the factors contributing to the recent increase in measles cases by reading here.
Want to learn more about the history of the measles vaccine?
Visit the CDC website: History of Measles | CDC
Want to keep in touch and receive our content?
Subscribe to the Evergreen Newsletter to receive the latest!
1 thought on “Inoculate, Immunize, and Vaccinate”