inoculation

Inoculation, in a medical context, refers to the process of exposing someone to a small, controlled amount of a pathogen or a disease agent to stimulate the immune system to develop protection without causing illness. This is the principle behind vaccines, which prepare the body to fight future infections by teaching the immune system how to recognize and respond to specific threats. Essentially, inoculation trains the immune system in advance, providing immunity and reducing the risk of severe disease if exposed to the actual infection later on.