Spanish word

vacuna

Pronunciation

IPA/baˈkuna/

Meaning

  • feminine nounvaccine

Example

¿Te pusiste la vacuna contra la gripe este año?

Did you get the flu vaccine this year?

Illustration for vacuna (vaccine)

More examples

Tras la vacuna muchas personas sienten dolor en el brazo.

After the vaccine, many people feel pain in their arm.

Core concept

A dose administered to prompt an immune response.

Common phrases

  • ponerse la vacuna

    get vaccinated

  • vacuna contra la gripe

    flu vaccine

  • segunda dosis de la vacuna

    second dose of the vaccine

Similar words

vacunación: Act of administering a vaccine to produce immunity.
inmunización: Process by which the body develops immunity to a disease.
inyección: Injection of liquid into the body using a needle.
dosis: Single measured amount of a medicine or vaccine for one use.

Definition in Spanish

Nombra la dosis o preparación administrada para inducir protección inmunitaria contra virus o bacterias.

Word origin

From Latin vaccinia 'cowpox' and vaccinus 'of cows', because early vaccination relied on cowpox material to prevent smallpox.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech speakers commonly ask '¿Te pusiste la vacuna?' or '¿Cuándo te vacunaste?' to ask whether and when someone received it.

Related words

  • vacunaciónvaccinationnoun
  • vacunarvaccinateverb
  • vacunadovaccinatedadjective

Word lists with this word