vaccine

vaccine definition - medical

vac·cine (văk-sēnˈ văkˈsēnˌ)

noun
  1. A preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen, such as a bacterium or virus, or of a portion of the pathogen's structure that upon administration stimulates antibody production against the pathogen but is incapable of causing severe infection.
  2. A vaccine prepared from the cowpox virus and inoculated against smallpox.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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