Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
vaccine
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images, Videos & Interactives
vaccine Vaccines by the numbers Smallpox vaccination Vaccine timeline Historical mass vaccination programs in the United States
Gloved hands draw liquid from a vial into a syringe, overlaid on a digitally colored microscopic image of a virus with round particles in clusters.
How did the polio vaccine change the world?
Human papillomavirus vaccine
Find out from Dr. Tina Tan of Northwestern University why adult vaccination against various types of diseases is important
human B cell
For Students
vaccine summary
Quizzes
Artificial lung ventilation monitor in the intensive care unit. Nurse with medical equipment. Ventilation of the lungs with oxygen. COVID-19 and coronavirus identification. Pandemic.
Is There a Doctor in the House? Firsts in Medicine Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Lisa Taylor receives a COVID-19 vaccination from RN Jose Muniz as she takes part in a vaccine study at Research Centers of America, August 07, 2020 in Hollywood, Florida. Research Centers of America is currently conducting COVID-19 vaccine trials, impleme
How Is a Vaccine Approved for Use?
Illustration by the CDC, reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes on the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus,
The Top COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Spreading Online
Hand washing. Healthcare worker washing hands in hospital sink under running water. contagious diseases wash hands, handwashing hygiene, virus, human health
17 Questions About Health and Wellness Answered
Young boy receiving a vaccine shot (child, vaccines, vaccinations, health care).
Do Vaccines Cause Autism?
Doctor wearing medical gloves with vaccine syringe in foreground. Vaccination concept
How Do Vaccines Work?
Discover
Mona Lisa, oil on wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503-06; in the Louvre, Paris, France. 77 x 53 cm.
Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
All Saints Day. All Souls Day. Candles in cemetery in Poland on All Saints Day, November 1. All Souls Day, November 2. Christian church, All Hallows, Solemnity of All Saints, Feast of All Saints, purgatory, Roman Catholic church
7 Unique Burial Rituals Across the World
Submerged sperm whale off east Sri Lanka coast, mammal
How Did the Sperm Whale Get Its Name?
Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism,
Which Religion Is the Oldest?
July, 2006, Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-121. See attached for full caption information.
Will Light-Speed Space Travel Ever Be Possible?
Space race (1957-1969) infographic between United States (U.S.) and Russia. America, Soviet Union, U.S.S.R., space exploration
Timeline of the Space Race, 1957–69

vaccine: Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/vaccine
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Aid cuts disrupt childhood vaccine programmes as diseases rise • Apr. 24, 2025, 3:23 AM ET (Reuters)
Sudbury newcomers face vaccine barriers as kids risk school expulsion • Apr. 16, 2025, 11:34 PM ET (CBC)
Calls for vaccine review after flu deaths surge • Apr. 16, 2025, 2:27 AM ET (BBC)
Vaccine expert worries child measles deaths are being 'normalized' • Apr. 14, 2025, 8:49 AM ET (NPR)
Exposure to antibiotics as a newborn can impair immune response to vaccines, study finds • Apr. 4, 2025, 11:47 PM ET (Medical Xpress)

Photos and Videos

vaccine
Smallpox vaccination
Historical mass vaccination programs in the United States
Human papillomavirus vaccine
human B cell
Mpox vaccine
Gloved hands draw liquid from a vial into a syringe, overlaid on a digitally colored microscopic image of a virus with round particles in clusters.
How did the polio vaccine change the world?
Find out from Dr. Tina Tan of Northwestern University why adult vaccination against various types of diseases is important
Working toward a vaccine to stop nicotine addiction
Why don't flu shots always work?
See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
French chemist and microbiologist
Edward Jenner
Edward Jenner
English surgeon
Frazer, Ian; Gardasil
Ian Frazer
Scottish-born Australian immunologist
Sir Almroth Edward Wright
British bacteriologist and immunologist
Theiler, Max
Max Theiler
American microbiologist
Émile Roux
Émile Roux
French bacteriologist
Fernand-Isidore Widal
French physician and bacteriologist
Thomas Francis, Jr.
American microbiologist
Maurice Hilleman
Maurice Hilleman
American microbiologist

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Artificial lung ventilation monitor in the intensive care unit. Nurse with medical equipment. Ventilation of the lungs with oxygen. COVID-19 and coronavirus identification. Pandemic.
Is There a Doctor in the House? Firsts in Medicine Quiz
List
Illustration by the CDC, reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes on the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus,
The Top COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Spreading Online
Hand washing. Healthcare worker washing hands in hospital sink under running water. contagious diseases wash hands, handwashing hygiene, virus, human health
17 Questions About Health and Wellness Answered