One of the most effective ways of disease prevention, vaccines, helps protect the body against several disease-causing agents. Vaccines are known to protect us from more than 25 types of life-threatening diseases. These diseases include measles, typhoid, influenza, and tetanus.

While discussing vaccines, the words immunization and vaccination are used together quite often, but the question is, do they mean the same thing?

The World Health Organisation defines immunization as the process which helps make an individual immune to a particular infectious disease. This is done by administering a vaccine.

For example, before the booster dose is administered to a child or an infant, it may not be able to fight off diseases like tetanus or diphtheria. Therefore, immunization is a very beneficial preventive measure that can control and eradicate several life-threatening diseases. When a vaccine is administered to a person, his or her immune system develops many antibodies, so that he or she does not get sick from the same agent again.

So, what is the difference between vaccination and immunisation?

Immunization vs Vaccination

In clinical terms, a vaccine is a product that triggers an individual’s immune system. It helps to increase the person’s immunity towards specific diseases and also protects the person from ailments. Also, a vaccine is generally administered via a needle injection and can also be administered through the mouth or nose.

Life-threatening epidemics such as smallpox that claimed millions of lives have now been completely eradicated thanks to effective vaccination. So, the difference between immunization and vaccination lies in the fact that a body can only develop immunity when it is properly administered with a vaccine.

However, an individual's immunity can also be increased by natural means. For instance, a person who suffered from chickenpox or measles is unlikely to contract it again. A person becomes immune thanks to the creation of antibodies in his or her system. This is done by exposure to weak or deactivated forms of microbes. This is also known as inoculation.

The Following Table Further Highlights the Difference Between Vaccination and Immunisation

Vaccination	Immunisation
In vaccination, a dose of weakened or dead microbes is introduced into the body of a healthy individual.	A person is said to undergo immunization once he or she is administered a vaccine, and his or her body starts to build up antibodies.
A vaccine is usually administered through a needle or some form of oral medium. It may also be sprayed through the nose.	Immunization is not administered – it is the body’s natural way to fight diseases by triggering the immune system.
Vaccination does not ensure complete protection from disease. For instance, the vaccine called Imovax Rabies only provides resistance from rabies. It does not guarantee that a person will not be infected by it if exposed to the microbe.	A person can only be said to be completely immune when he or she contracts a disease and recovers from it. The immune system builds up a host of antibodies through the process, and up until the recovery. For example, if a person contracts rabies and recovers, he or she is said to be immune to rabies.
If disease-causing microbes and pathogens undergo mutation in a bid to evolve, they might render any vaccine or form of immunization ineffective. This is why there is no vaccine for the common cold.	The mutations caused in the genetic makeup of microbes can severely affect an individual’s immune response to diseases.

Pop Quiz 1

Which of the following diseases has no vaccines?

Tetanus
Typhoid
Common cold
H₁N₁

A vaccine does not cause disease when administered. It is merely a modified version of an immunogen and may consist of either an entire pathogen, a toxin, or just some of its components. More so, it only causes a healthy individual to elicit an initial response to the pathogen and generate many memory B and T cells.

Vaccines ensure protection for everyone and help generate communal immunity. Though vaccines and immunization are essentially part of one process, they are quite different in what they mean.

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Vaccination and Immunisation - An Explanation

A vaccine is usually an injection that contains a small strain of a disease or infection. This strain is modified to prevent you from getting infected by the disease while still allowing your body to learn how to recognize the disease. This strain is then injected into your body so that the body learns how to develop specific antibodies that will fight it off. By doing this, your body learns to adapt and react to any possible infection faster.

Immunization is a long process that includes the process of getting vaccinated and the recovery period which makes you immune to a disease. Unlike vaccination, which generally refers to the individual process of getting a vaccine, immunization usually refers to society at large getting vaccinated and then becoming immune to a disease.

You can learn more about vaccines here.

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FAQs on Difference Between Vaccination and Immunisation

1. What is the difference between a vaccine and an immunization?

A vaccine is usually administered through a needle or orally. It may also be sprayed through the nose. It enhances the body's immunity. Immunization is not administered – it is the body’s natural way to fight diseases by triggering the immune system. Immunization includes the process of getting vaccinated as well as the recovery period and the process after when you become immune to a particular disease due to the vaccination.

Vaccines and Immunisation are interconnected concepts with a few differences. Vaccines are part of the immunization process. A vaccine is usually administered by injection, although in rare cases it may be administered orally. This is a process of injecting a small amount of a substance into your body to allow your body to recognize the foreign substance and produce antibodies to fight it. The substance injected is usually a small strain of the disease that has been modified to be less likely to infect you with the disease. It allows your body to recognize the disease and develop antibodies to fight it without infecting you. Immunization includes the process of taking a vaccine and the period after that when you become immune to the disease. That is why the goal for any country when facing a disease is immunization, not just vaccination.

2. Are vaccines completely effective?

Vaccination does not ensure complete protection from disease. For instance, the vaccine called Imovax Rabies only provides resistance from rabies. It does not guarantee that a person will not be infected by it if exposed to the microbe.

The way vaccines work is by introducing a small source of the disease or infection to your body. The strain that is used in the vaccine is modified so that it is mild enough that you won't get infected by it. By doing this, your body is introduced to that strain and learns how to produce antibodies that are designed to fight off this particular strain.

The problem with this is that usually, most infections develop multiple strains. Since each strain has different properties, they might still affect you. However, despite this, getting vaccinated is much safer because not only does it reduce the risk of getting the infection, but even if you do get infected, your symptoms will be much milder and easily treatable. A vaccine could mean the difference between a fatal disease and a mild fever.

3. What is an immunization?

The World Health Organisation defines immunization as the process which helps make an individual immune to a specific infectious disease. This is done by administering a certain type of vaccine.

In simple terms, immunization encompasses the process of getting vaccinated and recovering until you are immune to the infection. That is why most countries aim for immunization when faced with an epidemic or pandemic, rather than simple vaccination.

There is a vast difference between an entire country getting vaccinated versus an entire country getting immunized. The country being vaccinated simply means that everyone, or almost everyone, has had their vaccinations for a particular disease. However, even with everyone being vaccinated, they might still get infected by new strains or due to other factors, so the disease won't be completely eradicated.

However, a country being immunized means that not only has everyone got the vaccine, but they've also had a stable recovery and now everyone is immune to the disease. This means that the disease will be completely eradicated in that country.

4. Which are the vaccines given to young children?

In India, there have been several successful vaccination drives throughout the country. This is because India is usually highly susceptible to infectious diseases due to the tropical climate, a large number of people, and the high density of population in cities.

In India, there are a few vaccines that new parents are advised to give to their young babies. These vaccines protect babies from certain diseases for the rest of their lives. Some of the vaccines given to infants are given at birth, some are given a few weeks later, and some are given when the baby is close to 1 year old.

The vaccines given in India are BCG, Hep B, OPV, DTP, IPV, HIB, Rota V, PCV, MMR, Typhoid, and Hep A.

5. Where can I find out more about Vaccines and Immunisation?

You can find out more about Vaccines and Immunisation in different ways.

First, if you have any books about vaccines and Immunisation, or any notes from a doctor, you can look through those. Second, you can use the internet to find out more about vaccines and immunization.

This page contains details about what vaccines are, the benefits of taking a vaccine, the difference between vaccines and immunization, and more. You can find out more about vaccines and their types, definition, benefits, etc. by referring to the notes on vaccines available here. You can also lookup health-based websites for more information about vaccines.