inoculate/vaccinate

Question

Hello,would anyone be so kind and explain me what the exact difference (if any) is between "inoculation" and "vaccination"?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

It appears that vaccination is one sort of inoculation. From Dorland's Medical Dictionary:

inoculation (in·oc·u·la·tion) (i-nok”u-la´sh?n) [L. inoculatio, from in into + oculus bud] introduction of microorganisms, infective material, serum, and other substances into tissues of living plants and animals, or culture media; introduction of a disease agent, e.g., vaccine virus, into a healthy individual to produce a mild form of the disease followed by immunity.

vaccination (vac·ci·na·tion) (vak”si-na´sh?n) [L. vacca cow] the introduction of vaccine into the body for the purpose of inducing immunity. Coined originally to apply to the injection of smallpox vaccine, the term has come to mean any immunizing procedure in which vaccine is injected.

Winpoj · Answer

Many thanks, Micawber,

Just to understand the issue as perfectly as possible: It seems to follow from your answer that people can also be inoculated with something else than a vaccine (I'm not interested here in animals, plants or culture media). What might that something be? Is something else than vaccines used for the purposes of immunization in human medicine?

Regards

Mister Micawber · Answer

I believe the definition I posted answers your question: microorganisms, infective material, serum, and other substances. For more specifics, I recommend you consult your family physician. I am only a grammar doctor.

Anonymous · Answer

Actually, I think the definitions suggest that vaccination is a special case of inoculation -- the inoculation of vaccine for the purpose of inducing immunity.

In other words, the procedure of inoculation is not necessarily for the purpose of vaccination (i.e., the purpose of inducing immunity), and does not necessarily involve introducing material into the living tissues of a human being or animal. Material may also be introduced into a culture medium. In such a case, it is obviously not for the purpose of "vaccinating" that medium.

Anonymous · Answer

yes

Mjcbrown · Answer

As a doctor who trained long ago in London, I can only give you the difference as we used it. Vaccination emphasised the the therapeutic nature of the medical procedure and is limited to immunisation. Inoculation emphasised the the physical act and can be of beneficial or harmful substances. Inoculation can apply to non-human things. So one can inoculate the agar gel in a Petri dish.

I hope that helps!

m jc brown

Anonymous · Answer

They mean the exact same thing. They are just synonyms.

RayH · Answer

WinpojHello,

would anyone be so kind and explain me what the exact difference (if any) is between "inoculation" and "vaccination"?

In addition to all of the previous answers don't forget that "inoculate" can be used in a figurative sense as follows.
"The Obama campaign was correct to reckon that “nobody” has heard of FISA. So they did something for perceived political benefit to inoculate the candidate against the terror-card."
As quoted from: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6482490

You would never use "vaccinate" like this.

Anonymous · Answer

Try looking at Wikepedia. What it says accords with my memory - so I give myself a Brownie point.

(a) The terms are very much used interchangeably nowadays. And since language is living, probably we should just accept that!

(b) Historically, inoculation came first and was (probably) smallpox specific. It consisted of scratching in droplets - NOT much - of fluid from live smallpox scabs into the outer skin of the forearm. Because the route travelled by the variola (smallpox) virus is much 'tougher' on the virus than getting it into your lungs, and because the dose is low, the person vaccinated gets REAL but hopefully MILD smallpox and thus becomes resistant. In fact, up to 10% of those innoculated died. BUT much better than the huge % from full-blown smallpox. Inoculation was also called 'variolation' after the virus. Grammarwise, 'inoculate' now has many meanings metaphorically connected to the process described above: we are all inoculated against *********** (or not) through mild doses of it in cheap newspapers. Happily no one seems to actually die!

(c) Vaccination - invented by Jenner - is the process of injecting fluid containing either 'look-alike' viruses that trick the immune system into responding: Jenner used cowpox to trigger the ant-smallpox response. Since then medical scientist have made many different kinds of vaccine for many diseases - sometimes using the real virus which has be killed, sometimes using viruses that have been partly kliied or weakened in other ways.

Im sure there is more to be said, but the above is enough!

Anonymous · Answer

When talking of specific diseases and human intervention (ie not lab experiment based) difference tends to be:

Inoculate - giving small dose of ACTUAL disease eg smallpox

versus

Vaccinate - giving small dose of similar disease eg cowpox

both in treatment of smallpx but slightly differing methods fo treatment. Both generate body's natural defences.

This is basic difference from a non-medic married to a surgeon to whom I asked this very question some time ago!

inoculate/vaccinate

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions