vaccinia
noun
vac·cin·ia
| \ vak-ˈsi-nē-ə
\
\
Definition of vaccinia
1
or vaccinia virus
: a poxvirus (species Vaccinia virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus) that differs from but is closely related to the viruses causing smallpox and cowpox and that includes a strain used in making vaccines against smallpox
2
: a reaction to smallpox vaccine prepared from live vaccinia virus that may involve a rash, fever, headache, and body pain
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Other Words from vaccinia
vaccinial
\ vak-ˈsi-nē-əl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of vaccinia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Current vaccines are made from another related virus called vaccinia. — NBC News, "Now there's a drug to treat smallpox, just in case," 13 July 2018 The researchers, led by poxvirus expert Andreas Nitsche of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, Germany, decoded the entire genetic blueprint of the vaccinia strain. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Maybe you shouldn’t vaccinate your kids—maybe equinate them instead," 12 Oct. 2017 Horsepox virus, smallpox virus, and the vaccinia virus that is used in smallpox vaccines are part of a closely related group of pox viruses. — Gregory D. Koblentz, Slate Magazine, "Smallpox Could Again Be a Serious Threat," 19 Oct. 2017 Engineering pox viruses, such as vaccinia, could help create new vaccines and cancer therapies. — Gregory D. Koblentz, Slate Magazine, "Smallpox Could Again Be a Serious Threat," 19 Oct. 2017 The vaccine is made from a live virus called vaccinia, which is a poxvirus that is similar to smallpox but less harmful. — Laurie Mcginley, chicagotribune.com, "FDA cracks down on stem-cell clinics offering risky treatments," 28 Aug. 2017 The vaccine is made with live vaccinia virus, a poxvirus similar to but less harmful than smallpox. — Marie Mccullough, Philly.com, "FDA moves to curb dangerous stem cell clinics," 28 Aug. 2017 The vaccine used to eradicate smallpox--the world's oldest vaccine--is itself a living virus named vaccinia; it was first used in 1796 by Edward Jenner, an English doctor. — Kai Kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "How Canadian researchers built a poxvirus for $100,000 using mail-order DNA," 6 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vaccinia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for vaccinia
vaccinia
noun
vac·cin·ia
| \ vak-ˈsin-ē-ə
\
\
Medical Definition of vaccinia
1a
: cowpox
b
: a reaction to smallpox vaccine prepared from live vaccinia virus that may involve a rash, fever, headache, and body pain
2
or vaccinia virus
: a poxvirus of the genus Orthopoxvirus (species Vaccinia virus) that differs from but is closely related to the viruses causing smallpox and cowpox and that includes a strain of uncertain natural origin used in making vaccines against smallpox
Other Words from vaccinia
vaccinial
\ -ē-əl
\
adjective
\
adjective