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FACT BRIEF

Did Merriam-Webster remove the 'immunity' section from its new definition of 'vaccine'?

By Christiana Dillard
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NO

Social media doesn't usually use the word "literally" correctly. In this case it did, when a Facebook post claimed, "Merriam Webster has literally changed the definition of 'vaccine.'"

Merriam-Webster did update its long-held definition of "vaccine." However, the portion alluding to immunity was not removed, it was reworded.

The old definition read in part,

"A preparation...that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease."

In the new definition, the language is adjusted to,

"A preparation that is administered (as by injection) to stimulate the body's immune response against a specific infectious agent or disease."

The updated entry also adds examples that help explain the science behind mRNA vaccines, which were widely released for public use during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Internet Archive Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2006
Merriam-Webster Definition of Immune Response by Merriam-Webster
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.