The Hindu Editorial (A jab well done) – Feb 26, 2026

To read this article, click  “The Hindu”.

This preview is provided here with permission.

Courtesy: The Hindu

The Hindu Editorial (​A jab well done) – Feb 26, 2026:

1. jab (noun) – a hypodermic injection, inoculation, immunization, vaccination, shot. (hypodermic means under the skin; injection of medicine or drugs under the skin with a syringe).
2. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme (noun) – a public health initiative aiming to immunize a target population against HPV; public health drive, immunization campaign, preventive healthcare measure, disease prevention programme.
3. Papillomavirus (noun) – a type of virus that causes warts (non-cancerous skin growths) and is associated with certain cancers; infection-causing virus, DNA virus, cervical cancer-causing pathogen, infectious agent.
4. vaccination (noun) – treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization, inoculation, jab, shot.
5. adverse (adjective) – unfavourable, disadvantageous, unpropitious, harmful, negative.
6. immunisation (noun) – the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease; vaccination, inoculation, protection, defence.
7. move (noun) – a step taken to achieve a particular end; action, measure, initiative, step.
8. strike a strident note (phrase) – to express a strong, forceful, and assertive stance or opinion; take a firm stand, make a strong case, assert forcefully, express vehemently.
9. strike a note (phrase) – to express a particular feeling or attitude; evoke a sentiment, resonate, sound a tone, convey a feeling.
10. strident (adjective) – forceful, strong, assertive, uncompromising, emphatic.
11. anti-vaccination (adjective) – opposed to vaccination; anti-vax, against immunization, vaccine-hesitant, anti-inoculation.
12. sentiment (noun) – a view or attitude toward a particular situation; feeling, point of view, opinion, belief.
13. perilously (adverb) – in a way that is full of danger or risk; dangerously, riskily, hazardously, precariously.
14. pick up favourable winds (phrase) – to gain momentum or support; gather support, gain traction, become popular, advance strongly.
15. pick up winds (phrase) – to gather speed or energy; gather momentum, become stronger, accelerate, build up force.
16. pick up (phrasal verb) – to improve or get stronger; gather momentum, increase, accelerate, gain strength.
17. wind (noun) – a force or influence that drives something forward; momentum, trend, current, wave.
18. shunning (noun) – the act of persistently avoiding or rejecting something; avoiding, evading, eschewing, abandoning.
19. apparent (adjective) – clearly visible or understood; evident, obvious, clear, noticeable.
20. measles (noun) – a highly contagious viral infection characterized by fever and a red rash; rubeola, viral illness, infectious disease, childhood disease.
21. epidemic (noun) – a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time; outbreak, plague, scourge, spread.
22. make one’s way (phrase) – to proceed or advance in a particular direction; proceed, move, progress.
23. designated (adjective) – officially assigned or specified; classified, identified, appointed, allocated.
24. facility (noun) – a place or building provided for a particular purpose; centre, establishment, institution, clinic.
25. equip (verb) – to supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose; prepare, provide, outfit, arm.
26. adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) (noun) – any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization and does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the vaccine; post-vaccination side effect, negative reaction, medical complication, unintended response.
27. dose (noun) – a quantity of a medicine or drug taken or recommended to be taken at a particular time; portion, quantity, measure, amount.
28. vaccine (noun) – a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular disease; preventive medicine, immunogen, inoculation, biological agent.
29. regimen (noun) – a prescribed course of medical treatment; schedule, course, plan, programme.
30. World Health Organization (WHO) (noun) – a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health; global health agency, UN health body, international health organization, public health authority.
31. deploy (verb) – to bring into effective action; use, utilize, employ, implement.
32. cervical (adjective) – relating to the narrow neck-like passage forming the lower end of the uterus; relating to the cervix, reproductive system-related, uterine, gynecological.
33. persistent (adjective) – continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action or state; continuous, constant, unending, unrelenting.
34. account for (phrasal verb) – constitute, make up, comprise, represent.
35. point to (phrasal verb) – to show that something is true or likely; indicate, suggest, signify, denote.
36. the fact that (phrase) – used to refer to a particular situation that exists; the certainty that.
37. largely (adverb) – to a great extent; mostly, mainly, principally, generally.
38. screening (noun) – the testing or examining of a person or group to look for a disease; examination, testing, checking, evaluation.
39. promptly (adverb) – with little or no delay; immediately, quickly, swiftly, rapidly.
40. substantial (adjective) – of considerable importance, size, or worth; considerable, significant, large, meaningful.
41. pre-cancerous (adjective) – referring to a condition or lesion that is likely to develop into cancer; premalignant, susceptible to cancer, cancer-precursor, early-stage abnormality.
42. lesion (noun) – a region in an organ or tissue which has suffered damage through injury or disease; sore, ulcer, wound, tissue abnormality.
43. incidence (noun) – the occurrence, rate, or frequency of a disease; occurrence, rate, frequency, prevalence.
44. sheer (adjective) – nothing other than (used for emphasis); utter, complete, absolute, pure.
45. intervention (in medicine) (noun) – the action or process of intervening to improve health; treatment, medical care, therapy, preventive measure.
46. South-East Asia Region (SEARO) (noun) – one of the six regional offices of the World Health Organization; regional health division, WHO Asian branch, health jurisdiction, international health zone.
47. incident (noun) – an instance of something happening (often referring to newly occurring cases in epidemiology); occurrence, event, happening, episode.
48. alarmingly (adverb) – in a way that causes worry or fear; worryingly, disturbingly, frighteningly, shockingly.
49. dark past (noun) – a history filled with negative or troubling events; grim history, troubling background, unfortunate record, bleak history.
50. trial (noun) – a formal examination of evidence or a test of performance in a clinical setting; test, experiment, clinical study, pilot study.
51. aver (verb) – to state or assert to be the case; declare, state, assert, claim.
52. probably (adverb) – almost certainly; likely, presumably, doubtlessly, arguably.
53. establish (verb) – to show something to be valid, true, or certain; prove, demonstrate, determine, verify.
54. certainty (noun) – firm conviction that something is the case; confidence, sureness, conviction, indubitability.
55. flag (verb) – to draw attention to something; indicate, identify, point out, highlight.
56. embark on (phrasal verb) – to begin a course of action; start, begin, initiate, undertake.
57. lead to (verb) – result in, cause, bring on, bring about.
58. cold chain (noun) – a temperature-controlled supply chain that ensures perishable goods like vaccines are maintained at a designated temperature; temperature-controlled logistics, refrigerated supply network, cool cargo transport, freezing storage system.
59. transparency (noun) – the condition of being transparent or open; clarity, straightforwardness, openness, accountability.
60. meticulous (adjective) – showing great attention to detail; careful, detailed, exact, precise.

Note :

1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc. from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.  

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

The Hindu Editorial (A jab well done) – Feb 26, 2026: