vaccine
gb/vˌæksˈin/ us/vˌæksˈin/
B1
English
~ 7900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
substance that protects from disease
A special drug, given as an injection or sometimes by mouth or nose, that helps your body protect itself from a disease.
Usage pattern:
get a vaccine against [disease]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'vaccine' with 'vaccination' or 'to vaccinate'. A 'vaccine' is the substance, 'vaccination' is the act or process, and 'to vaccinate' is the verb. Collocations are also important: in natural English, people usually say 'get a vaccine' or 'have a vaccine' rather than 'take a vaccine'. Learners may also call any drug a 'vaccine', but vaccines are only for preventing specific diseases, not for general treatment.
Synonyms
immunization (Often refers to the process or result of becoming protected, not just the substance itself.)
|
inoculation (More technical or formal; can mean the act of giving a vaccine rather than the vaccine itself.)
|
shot (Informal; focuses on the injection, not specifically that it is a vaccine.)
|
jab (Common in British and some other varieties of English; informal and focuses on the injection.)
Antonyms
pathogen (A pathogen causes disease, while a vaccine is designed to prevent disease caused by a pathogen.)
|
infection (An infection is what a vaccine tries to prevent from happening in the first place.)
Collocations
COVID-19 vaccine
|flu vaccine
|childhood vaccine
|vaccine rollout
|vaccine mandate
|vaccine hesitancy
Themes
health
|medicine
|science
|public policy
Examples
- The doctor recommended a flu vaccine before the winter season starts.
- Many countries rushed to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in record time.
- Children receive several routine vaccines in their first years of life to protect them from serious illnesses.
- After getting the vaccine, she experienced a sore arm but no other side effects.
- The new vaccine showed high effectiveness in large clinical trials.
Learner examples
- I got a vaccine at the clinic yesterday.
- This vaccine helps protect you from the virus.
- Babies need many vaccines to stay healthy.
- He is waiting for the new COVID-19 vaccine.
- The school asked all students to show proof of vaccine.
Noun
literary
C1
entity
2
thing that strongly protects from harm
Something that protects people from a bad thing, such as hate or corruption, by stopping it before it grows.
Usage pattern:
a vaccine against [problem]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this use is literal. In this sense, 'vaccine' is used metaphorically for non-medical problems. It is more common in written opinions and speeches than in everyday conversation and should not replace words like 'solution' or 'protection' in neutral, non-stylistic contexts.
Synonyms
safeguard (A general word for protection; less vivid and not tied to the medical idea of prevention.)
|
buffer (Focuses on softening impact rather than preventing the problem from starting.)
Antonyms
catalyst (A catalyst makes something happen or grow faster, the opposite of a 'vaccine' in this figurative sense which prevents growth.)
Collocations
a vaccine against hatred
|a vaccine against corruption
|a vaccine against extremism
|a vaccine against misinformation
Themes
metaphor
|society
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many educators see critical thinking as a vaccine against misinformation.
- Strong democratic institutions can act as a vaccine against corruption and abuse of power.
- Some argue that open dialogue in schools is the best vaccine against hatred and fear.
- Access to good jobs and education is often described as a social vaccine against crime.
- Media literacy programs are promoted as a vaccine against online radicalization.
Learner examples
- They call good education a vaccine against poverty.
- Free, honest news can be a vaccine against lies.
- Some people say love is the best vaccine against hate.
- Strong laws can be a vaccine against corruption.
- The program is like a vaccine against future problems.
Grammar
Dictionary form
vaccine
IPA
GB/vˌæksˈin/
US/vˌæksˈin/
Syllables & stress
vac - cine (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cine)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: vaccine
- Plural: vaccine, vaccines
Word family
Forms
vaccines
noun
Core family
vaccinate
verb B2
vaccination
noun B2
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unvaccinated
adjective
anti-vaccine
adjective
Advanced or less common
revaccinate
verb
revaccination
noun
Expressions
vaccine appointment
1/vˌæksˈin əpˈɔɪntmənt/
fixed phrase
scheduled time to get a vaccine
A time and date you book to go and get a vaccine.
Examples
- I booked my vaccine appointment online for next Tuesday.
- She missed her vaccine appointment and had to reschedule.
- Walk-ins are welcome, but a vaccine appointment is recommended.
vaccine clinic
1/vˌæksˈin klˈɪnɪk/
fixed phrase
place where vaccines are given
A medical place, sometimes temporary, where people can go to get vaccines.
Examples
- There’s a free vaccine clinic at the community center this weekend.
- The city opened a drive-through vaccine clinic near the stadium.
- Volunteers helped guide people at the busy vaccine clinic.
vaccine coverage
1/vˌæksˈin kˈʌvɚɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
technical
percentage of people vaccinated
The share of people in a group who have received a certain vaccine.
Examples
- High vaccine coverage is needed to stop the virus from spreading.
- Vaccine coverage is lowest in remote rural areas.
- The report compares vaccine coverage between different age groups.
vaccine equity
1/vˌæksˈin ˈɛkwɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
fair access to vaccines
The idea that all people, rich or poor, in all places, should have the same fair chance to get vaccines.
Examples
- Global vaccine equity became a major concern during the pandemic.
- The organization works to improve vaccine equity in low-income countries.
- Leaders discussed how to fund vaccine equity at the summit.
vaccine hesitancy
1/vˌæksˈin hˈɛzɪtənsi/
fixed phrase
reluctance to get vaccinated
When people are unsure, afraid, or slow to get vaccines, even when the vaccines are easy to get.
Examples
- Public health experts are worried about rising vaccine hesitancy.
- Clear communication can reduce vaccine hesitancy in many communities.
- Social media rumors played a role in vaccine hesitancy among young adults.
vaccine injury
1/vˌæksˈin ˈɪnd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
technical
harm believed caused by a vaccine
A health problem that people think is caused by a vaccine, whether it is proven or not.
Examples
- The government has a program to compensate rare cases of vaccine injury.
- Doctors investigated reports of possible vaccine injury after the new shot was introduced.
- Social media can spread fear about vaccine injury, even when the risks are extremely low.
vaccine passport
1/vˌæksˈin pˈæspˌɔɹt/
fixed phrase
document showing vaccination status
A paper or digital document that shows you have received certain vaccines, often used for travel or entry to places.
Examples
- You may need a vaccine passport to attend large indoor events.
- The airline asked passengers to upload their vaccine passports before check-in.
- Some countries dropped the requirement for a vaccine passport as cases fell.
vaccine rollout
1/vˌæksˈin ɹˈoʊlˌaʊt/
fixed phrase
process of giving out vaccines
The planned process of sending vaccines to places and giving them to people.
Examples
- The country’s vaccine rollout started with elderly people and healthcare workers.
- Delays in shipments slowed the vaccine rollout.
- A successful vaccine rollout depends on good planning and clear communication.
vaccine uptake
1/vˌæksˈin ˈʌptˌeɪk/
fixed phrase
technical
rate at which people get vaccinated
How many people accept and receive a vaccine when it is offered to them.
Examples
- Vaccine uptake among young adults has been lower than expected.
- The campaign increased vaccine uptake in several regions.
- Experts are studying why vaccine uptake is slow in this community.
vaccine mandate
1/vˌæksˈin mˈændˌeɪt/
fixed phrase
official rule to get vaccinated
A law or rule that says certain people must get a vaccine, for example workers in a company or students at a school.
Examples
- The government announced a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.
- The company announced a vaccine mandate for all office staff.
- The new vaccine mandate led to protests in several cities.
- The government’s vaccine mandate sparked protests in several cities.
- Without a vaccine mandate, many employers relied on voluntary vaccination.