Did someone ask you if you got the coronavirus vaccine? You could replay and tell them you’re ‘vaxxed’ if you had both shots and a booster. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The expression ‘vaxxed’ means that someone is vaccinated against a virus or bacteria. It’s common for people to use the term when referring to people immunized with the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna or Pfizer.
If someone is ‘vaxxed,’ they have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster. The CDC continues to adjust ‘vaxxed’ guidelines according to the data they receive from the medical community.
Example Usage
“Man, I’m fully vaxxed now. I just got my booster, and I’m all set for this winter. Covid isn’t going to catch me. I’m ready for Omicron this year.”
“Vaxxed people are morons. They don’t realize they’re destroying their immune system and will eventually die from the flu.”
“Unvaxxed people are morons. They all believe in this giant conspiracy that makes no sense. I’ll stay vaxxed, thanks, and I’d love to meet Bill Gates.”
“Being vaxxed is the right thing to do for society. It helps us generate herd immunity and beat the virus.”
“Vaxxed people are the saviors of the world. They’re willing to participate in the biggest social and medical experiment in history to help their fellow man.”
“I don’t care if you’re vaxxed or unvaxxed. It’s a personal medical choice that everyone needs to make themselves. No one should be forced to take any medical procedure they don’t want.”
“These unvaxxed people need some encouragement to get the shot. Let’s go door to door and ask them if we can vaccinate them on-site.”
Origin
The origin of the expression 'vaxxed' comes from the 2016 film 'Vaxxed.' The movie discusses a cover-up by the CDC regarding the MMR vaccine and the link between the vaccine and childhood autism. Movie critics quickly denounce the film as pseudoscience, touting it as propaganda.
The movie 'Vaxxed' follows the story of a study published by 12 authors in the 1998 study published in The Lancet suggesting MMR vaccines cause autism. The study was pulled from the Lancet in 2010, with Wakefield being struck off the medical register in the UK due to reported "ethical violations and a failure to disclose financial conflicts of interest."
The term gained popularity in the United States and worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The emergence of mRNA vaccine technology sparked a war between the medical community, social justice warriors, and vaccine conspiracy theorists on social media.
Phrases Similar to Vaxxed
- Vaccinated.
Phrases Opposite to Vaxxed
- Unvaxxed.
What is the Correct Saying?
- Vaxxed.
Ways People May Say Vaxxed Incorrectly
Some people may use the term ‘vaxxed’ about the 2016 movie of the same name. as a result, they may see ‘vaxxed’ people as part of a large conspiracy, and ‘sheep’ led to the slaughter by the government and pharmaceutical industry.
However, there is no concrete evidence of these conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines from pharma giants like Moderna and Pfizer.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Vaxxed
You can use the term ‘vaxxed’ when discussing people inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine. While the expression has a loose relationship to the movie of the same name, it doesn’t apply to conspiracy theory alone. Many vaccinated people will refer to themselves or people they know as ‘vaxxed.’ The term doesn’t always have to have a derogatory connotation.
‘Vaxxed’ and unvaccinated individuals can refer to unvaccinated people as ‘unvaxxed.’ Both ‘vaxxed’ and ‘unvaxxed’ don’t carry any negative connotations to them. The phrase suits social use, and it wouldn’t appear in official documents, with authorities preferring to use the formal version of ‘vaccinated.’