Vaccine

By Taylor Tibbs

(noun, /vak-SEEN/) 

What does it mean? 

A vaccine is a biological product used to protect or immunize against a certain disease. When vaccines are given, they stimulate the immune system to develop a protective response against the causative agent of a disease or pathogen (such as a virus or bacterium). Vaccines can be composed of either whole inactivated forms of a pathogen or pieces of that pathogen. 

Illustration is the author’s own work.

How do I use it in a sentence?

“I am protected against the disease measles because I received the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine as a child.”

Illustration is the author’s own work.

Etymology

In Latin, vaccinus literally means “from cows.” In the 1800s, a British scientist named Edward Jenner discovered that he could protect children against the deadly disease smallpox if he injected them with cowpox – a similar, but less deadly virus. 

Related terms

Vaccinate/Vaccination

Immunize/Immunization

Immunity

Fields of study in which this word is commonly used

Medicine

Immunology

Microbiology

Edited by Anna Wheless and Emma Goldberg