Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Immunization | The process of being made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. It implies that a vaccine will trigger an immune response. Vaccines |
| Immunoglobulin | A protein found in the blood that fights infection. Also known as gamma globulin. Vaccines |
| Immunosupression | A condition in which the immune system is unable to protect the body from disease. This condition can be caused by diseases such as HIV infection or cancer or by certain drugs, such as steroids or those used in chemotherapy. Individuals whose immune systems are compromised should not receive live, attenuated vaccines. Vaccines |
| Inactivated Vaccine | A vaccine made from viruses and bacteria that have been killed through physical or chemical processes, or contain parts proteins of the infectious agents. These killed organisms cannot cause disease. Vaccines |
| Independence | When one factor does not exert influence on another. For example, what one study participant does should not influence what another participant does. They make decisions independently. Independence is critical for a meaningful statistical analysis. Science |
| Independent Variable | The variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher. Science |
| Induction | A form of inference, moving from specific observations to broader generalizations or theories. Science |
| Infectious | Capable of spreading from one person to another or from one living being to another, communicable. Vaccines |
| Inference | Inference is the logical process of arriving at a conclusion based on available evidence, clues, and prior knowledge rather than direct statements. It is commonly used across reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and machine learning to connect known facts to unknown or implicit information. Science |
| Infodemic | An infodemic is an overwhelming, excessive amount of information—both accurate and false—that spreads rapidly during a health crisis, making it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance. Science Misinformation |