A vaccine is a substance containing a harmless form of the germs that cause a particular disease. It is given to people, usually by injection, to prevent them getting that disease.
Anti-malarial vaccines are now undergoing trials.
Fortunately there are two types of vaccine against the disease.
...the rabies vaccine.
Synonyms: inoculation, injection, immunization More Synonyms of vaccine
vaccine in British English
(ˈvæksiːn)
noun medicine
1.
a suspension of dead, attenuated, or otherwise modified microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, or rickettsiae) for inoculation to produce immunity to a disease by stimulating the production of antibodies
2.
(originally) a preparation of the virus of cowpox taken from infected cows and inoculated in humans to produce immunity to smallpox
3. (modifier)
of or relating to vaccination or vaccinia
4. computing
a piece of software designed to detect and remove computer viruses from a system
Word origin
C18: from New Latin variolae vaccīnae cowpox, title of medical treatise (1798) by Edward Jenner, from Latin vacca a cow
vaccine in American English
(vækˈsin; ˈvæksin)
noun
1. Originally
lymph, or a preparation of this, from a cowpox vesicle, containing the causative virus and used in vaccination against cowpox or smallpox
2.
any preparation of killed microorganisms, living weakened organisms, etc. introduced into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease by causing the formation of antibodies
adjective
3. Rare
of cowpox or vaccination
Word origin
L vaccinus, from cows < vacca, cow; akin ? to Sans vaś, rogue cow
COBUILD Collocations
vaccine
effective vaccine
Examples of 'vaccine' in a sentence
vaccine
We may need to rethink the way we produce and sell vaccines.
McKenzie, James F. & Pinger, Robert R. An Introduction to Community Health (1995)
It was his case that the brain damage was caused by the vaccine.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We look to the vaccine industry to produce the required quantities of vaccine as quickly as possible.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
One particular challenge has been finding enough sterile manufacturing capacity to produce the vaccine.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This would mean stopping the production of seasonal vaccines that protect against infections that cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It could also trigger a recommendation that drug companies switch production from vaccines for seasonal strains of flu to the pandemic virus.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He was the first to use vaccines for rabies, anthrax and chicken cholera.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
If you can get a vaccine for this disease, then you can talk about elimination.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There are now 27 vaccines available to combat different diseases.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The vaccine might itself cause deaths, but this must be set against lives saved by speed.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
All vaccines can also cause redness, soreness and swelling at the site of the injection.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Can we now treat this vaccine as what it is: something that might simply save a life?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The rabies vaccine is extremely effective but you can avoid the disease by keeping away any animal that isn't a pet.
The Sun (2012)
In theory it can be adapted to attack any form of cancer and should offer lasting protection against a relapse, much like a vaccine against a virus.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He had limited medical equipment, no blood bank, no drugs to treat the disease and no vaccine to combat its spread.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Both companies have been competing to sell smallpox vaccines to the US Government.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
vaccine
British English: vaccine NOUN
A vaccine is a substance containing a harmless form of a particular disease. It is given to people to prevent them from getting that disease.
Anti-malarial vaccines are now undergoing trials.
American English: vaccine
Brazilian Portuguese: vacina
Chinese: 疫苗
European Spanish: vacuna
French: vaccin
German: Impfstoff
Italian: vaccino
Japanese: ワクチン
Korean: 백신
European Portuguese: vacina
Latin American Spanish: vacuna
All related terms of 'vaccine'
BCG (vaccine)
a vaccine prepared from an attenuated strain of the tubercle bacillus , used for immunization against tuberculosis
polio vaccine
a vaccine used against the disease , poliomyelitis
Sabin vaccine
a vaccine taken orally to immunize against poliomyelitis , developed by Albert Bruce Sabin (1906–93) in 1955
diphtheria vaccine
a vaccine used to produce immunity against diphtheria
effective vaccine
A vaccine is a substance containing a harmless form of the germs that cause a particular disease. It is given to people, usually by injection , to prevent them getting that disease.
Chinese translation of 'vaccine'
vaccine
(ˈvæksiːn)
n(c/u)
疫苗 (yìmiáo) (种(種), zhǒng)
(noun)
Definition
a substance made from the germs that cause a disease which is given to people to prevent them getting the disease