monovalent

adjective

mono·​va·​lent ˌmä-nə-ˈvā-lənt How to pronounce monovalent (audio)
1
: having a valence of one
2
: having specific immunologic activity against a single antigen, microorganism, or disease
a monovalent vaccine

Examples of monovalent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In June, an advisory committee to the FDA recommended that this fall’s booster be a monovalent vaccine—targeting only the then-dominant XBB.1.5 subvariant. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 12 Sep. 2023 In June, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee unanimously voted that the fall 2023 COVID booster should be a monovalent vaccine that targets the XBB.1.5 strain of the Omicron variant. Maggie Scales, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2023 And a monovalent vaccine could provide better protection against current variants: With the bivalent booster, patients’s immune systems react more to the original strain, hindering their response to newer ones, David Ho, a microbiologist and immunologist at Columbia University, tells CNN. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2023 Remainder of Vaccinated Population - Most people depending on age who were previously vaccinated with a monovalent jab and who haven’t yet received a bivalent vaccine can now get a single bivalent dose, the FDA said. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for monovalent 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monovalent was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near monovalent

Cite this Entry

“Monovalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monovalent. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

monovalent

adjective
mono·​va·​lent ˌmän-ə-ˈvā-lənt How to pronounce monovalent (audio)
1
: having a chemical valence of one
2
: containing antibodies specific for or antigens of a single strain of a microorganism
a monovalent vaccine
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