Flu Vaccine Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

Anaphylaxis: Allergic reaction. In severe cases, this can include potentially deadly anap...

Antibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein, produced because of the introdu...

Antigen: A substance that the immune system perceives as being foreign or dangerous. The b...

Antigenic drift: A mechanism for variation by viruses that involves the accumulation of mu...

Antigenic shift: A sudden shift in the antigenicity of a virus resulting from the recombin...

Arginine: An essential amino acid and a key component of protein. Lack of arginine in the ...

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Assay: An assay is an analysis done to determine:

1. The presence of a substance an...

Asthma: A common lung disorder in which inflammation causes the bronchi to swell and narro...

Attenuated: Weakened, diluted, thinned, reduced, weakened, diminished.

Autism: A spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in social inter...

Bacterium: The singular of bacteria.

Bird flu: See: Avian influenza.

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cerebral: Of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.

Cerebral palsy: An abnormality of motor function (the ability to move and control movement...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: COPD. Any disorder that persistently obstructs bron...

Congenital: A condition that is present at birth, whether or not it is inherited.

Congenital heart disease: A malformation of the heart, aorta, or other large blood vessels...

Congestion: An abnormal or excessive accumulation of a body fluid. The term is used broadl...

Congestive heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it, with f...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

Coronary artery disease: Impedance or blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood t...

Cystic fibrosis: A common grave genetic disease that affects the exocrine glands and is ch...

Deltoid: The muscle, roughly triangular in shape, that stretches from the collarbone (clav...

Developmental delay: A condition in which a child is behind schedule in reaching milestone...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diabetes mellitus: Better known just as "diabetes" -- a chronic disease associated with ab...

Endocrine: Pertaining to hormones and the glands that make and secrete them into the blood...

Epilepsy (seizure disorder): When nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses...

Evolution: The continuing process of change.

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Flu vaccine: The flu vaccination (influenza) is recommended for persons at high risk for...

Genes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nee...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Genome: All the genetic information possessed by any organism (for example, the human geno...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune response: Any reaction by the immune system. For example, poison ivy can cause an i...

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunization: Vaccination. Immunizations work by stimulating the immune system, the natur...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Influenza: The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract which are divide...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Intradermal: In the skin. For example, an intradermal injection is given into the skin. Ab...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Malaise: A vague feeling of discomfort, one that cannot be pinned down but is often sensed...

Metabolic: Relating to metabolism, the whole range of biochemical processes that occur wit...

Mitochondrial: Referring to mitochondria.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

Muscular dystrophy: One of a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakne...

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Nasal-spray flu vaccine: See: Nasal flu vaccine.

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Nursing: 1) Profession concerned with the provision of services essential to the maintena...

Palsy: Paralysis, generally partial, whereby a local body area is incapable of voluntary m...

Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whol...

Pediatric: Pertaining to children.

Peripheral: Situated away from the center, as opposed to centrally located.

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Polio: Abbreviation for poliomyelitis, an acute and sometimes devastating disease caused ...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

RNA: Ribonucleic acid.

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

Sickle cell disease: A genetic blood disorder caused by the presence of an abnormal form ...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

Spanish flu: A pandemic of influenza A (H1N1) in 1918-19 that caused the highest number of...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Strain: 1. An injury to a tendon or muscle resulting from overuse or trauma. 2. A heredita...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Swine flu: A respiratory illness of pigs caused by infection with swine influenza A virus ...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Synthesis: Putting together different entities to make a whole which is new and different....

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Thimerosal: A mercury-containing preservative used in some vaccines and other products sin...

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Tired: A feeling of a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency of accomplishment,...

Titer: The concentration of a substance in a fluid, such as the concentration of an antibo...

Vaccination: Injection of a killed microbe in order to stimulate the immune system against...

Vaccines: Microbial preparations of killed or modified microorganisms that can stimulate a...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...

Wheezing: A whistling noise in the chest during breathing. Wheezing occurs when the airway...