Vaccination, Immunization... ugghhh

[jaidymama]

Ok, so I recently was retold the differences between these two words and have been severely disappointed by the Health Departments and Government agencies that use the words synonymously.

I think that if we were more careful about our word choice here it could be a great shift to realizing they are 2 separate things... That if you vaccinate you are not necessarily fully immunized!

It's not as simple as saying toe-may-toe vs. toe-mah-toe etc.

[mommaknowsbest]

Originally Posted by jaidymama

Ok, so I recently was retold the differences between these two words and have been severely disappointed by the Health Departments and Government agencies that use the words synonymously.

I think that if we were more careful about our word choice here it could be a great shift to realizing they are 2 separate things... That if you vaccinate you are not necessarily fully immunized!

It's not as simple as saying toe-may-toe vs. toe-mah-toe etc.

I agree! Gets my blood boiling,actually! But, I see it as more than just disappointing-it's deceitful,and misleading to the vast majority of people who never even think twice about it.

Personally, I cringe when I hear the word IMMUNIZATION. I am very careful to always use vaccination when appropriate. All of my DC have had Chicken Pox-therefore,yes, they have a lifetime immunity to that disease. The DC who have had the Chicken Pox vax,no, they have just been given a vaccination.

Yes, two very different meanings,and we certainly can't rely on the government or health agencies to differentiate.

[MilkTrance]

ITA. Somebody I know says that her child is fully immunized. I want to ask her -- how do you KNOW that he is? You can't know. Unless she has done tests to prove that they are. Which I doubt, because she takes most of her direction from a nurse practitioner.