The word Vaccination’ has been derived from a Latin word which relates to

The word 'vaccination' is derived from the Latin word 'vacca', which means 'cow' [2]. This etymological link originates from the late 18th-century work of the English physician Edward Jenner [3]. Jenner observed that milkmaids who contracted cowpox, a milder disease found in cows, were subsequently immune to the deadly smallpox virus [3]. In 1796, he successfully demonstrated this by inoculating a young boy with material from a cowpox lesion. The term 'vaccine' was initially used as an adjective meaning 'pertaining to cows' or 'from cows' (Latin: vaccinus) [2]. Specifically, Jenner referred to cowpox as 'variolae vaccinae', meaning 'smallpox of the cow' [2]. Over time, the term was generalized to describe any preparation used to produce immunity against various infectious diseases [2].

Sources

1. [1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9628791/
2. [2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaccine
3. [3] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Health: The Ultimate Treasure > Edward Jenner and the smallpox vaccine > p. 38