US Medical Term · procedures
Immunization
Inmunización
What it means
Immunization is the process of becoming protected against a disease. MedlinePlus adds that the word can also mean the same thing as vaccination, which is getting a vaccine to become protected against a disease. The National Cancer Institute's dictionary defines immunization as a technique used to cause an immune response that results in resistance to a specific disease, especially an infectious disease. Vaccines are injections (shots), liquids, pills, or nasal sprays that teach the body's immune system to recognize and defend against harmful germs. The immune system also remembers the germ, and this type of protection is called immunity. A vaccine, or immunization, schedule lists which vaccines are recommended for different groups of people; in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes it.
Immunization in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Inmunización
- Gender and article
- feminine: la inmunización
- Pronunciation
- een-moo-nee-sah-SYOHN
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vacunación | General | MedlinePlus en español says that inmunización can also mean the same as vacunación, which consists of receiving a vaccine to be protected against a disease; Vacunación is also the title of its page. |
Inmunización is the word in MedlinePlus en español and the headword in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, and the Spanish dictionary enters it as a feminine noun: the action and effect of inmunizar. MedlinePlus en español explains the overlap with vacunación: inmunización is the process of becoming protected against a disease, but it can also mean the same as vacunación, which consists of receiving a vaccine. The dictionary's entry gives vacunación after the abbreviation Sin. The MedlinePlus en español page is titled Vacunación and lists Inmunización among its other names.
Related words on the same page are vacunas (vaccines), inmunidad (immunity), respuesta inmunitaria (immune response) and sistema inmunitario (immune system). The vaccine schedule appears both as calendario de vacunas and as programa de vacunación, o inmunización. The page also uses the plural inmunizaciones, in a sentence about newborn babies being too young to receive some of them. Community immunity is inmunidad comunitaria o colectiva.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician | Do you have your immunization record with you? | ¿Tiene con usted su registro de inmunización? |
| Patient | No, but I think I am missing some vaccines. | No, pero creo que me faltan algunas vacunas. |
| Patient | Which vaccines does my daughter need at this age? | ¿Qué vacunas necesita mi hija a esta edad? |
| Clinician | The immunization schedule lists the vaccines recommended for her age. | El calendario de vacunas enumera las vacunas recomendadas para su edad. |
| Patient | How many doses does she need, and when? | ¿Cuántas dosis necesita, y cuándo? |
| Clinician | Is she allergic to any vaccine ingredient? | ¿Tiene alergia a algún ingrediente de las vacunas? |
| Patient | Is this vaccine an injection or a nasal spray? | ¿Esta vacuna es una inyección o un aerosol nasal? |
| Patient | Can you give me a copy of the immunization record for her school? | ¿Puede darme una copia del registro de inmunización para su escuela? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Immunization |
| Spanish (Español) | Inmunización |
| Chinese (中文) | 免疫接種 |
| Korean (한국어) | 면역화 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Tiêm chủng |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Immunization |
| Portuguese (Português) | Imunização |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การสร้างเสริมภูมิคุ้มกัน |
| Japanese (日本語) | 免疫化 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Blood and immune system
All terms in this area: Blood and immune system — Sangre y sistema inmunitario
Sources
- Vaccines — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Vacunación — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- immunization — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- inmunización — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI), NIH
- inmunización — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026