Science Questions

What is the difference between vaccination and immunization?

What is the difference between vaccination and immunization? When can one use one over the other? Jeremiah Saringe, Canada

Immunisation and Vaccination are two words for the same thing; essentially adding a part of a bacteria, or a whole ‘dead’ bacteria to our system, so that our immune system is prepared for us contracting the illness. We actually use the term ‘vaccination’ because the cowpox virus used by Edward Jenner as a preventative treatment for small pox is called vaccinia.

June 2007