Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Immunization has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
the act of making immune (especially by inoculation)
"The global campaign focuses on immunization to protect children from preventable diseases through vaccination."
The process by which an individual is safely exposed in a controlled manner to a material that is designed to prime their immune system against that material.
"The child received immunization at the clinic to build immunity against common diseases before starting school."
In plain English: Immunization is when you get vaccinated to build up your body's defense against specific diseases so they can't make you sick.
"The school requires proof of immunization before children can enroll in kindergarten."
Usage: Use "immunization" when referring to the medical procedure or public health program, while reserving "vaccination" for the specific act of administering the shot. Avoid using it as a verb; instead, say someone was immunized rather than they did an immunizing.
The word immunization comes from the French term coined by scientist Albert Calmette. It was formed by combining the root for "immune" with a suffix indicating an action, effectively describing the process of making someone resistant to disease.