Immunity or Immunization? Settle this argument!?

Question:

Ok bear with me for a sec. My husband & I are both stubborn people and I finally said I would come on here to get a proper answer.

We were watching a rerun of "Last Comic Standing" and someone won immunity and in her interview said, "I just won an immunization". I said that's an improper use of the word because immunization is a medical term and in THIS situation, immunity has more the legal meaning. Never have I heard a lawyer plea for his client to get an immunization if he gives up more information. Never has Jeff Probst said on Survivor, "You just won yourself an immunization".

We called our friends and they're split down the middle. If you say, "I just won an immunization" pertaining to legality or a reality show, is that a correct usage of the word? It's driving me nuts!

And yes, I'm THAT stubborn.

Answers:
If you got a shot at the doctor, you would say "I've just been immunized so now I have immunity because my doctor gave me an immunization." But if you could not get a disease again because you had already had that disease (like I had measles and mumps when I was a kid), then you would say "I have immunity" to whatever. On the show, they have to win immunity, so I would argue they are not being immunized by someone else or receiving an immunization, because they had to develop their own immunity, just like I did by suffering from those diseases. And the lawyer's clients have to earn immunity by giving up other people. The police don't immunize them. So I think I'm with you on this one.

Other Answers:
I agree with you.

The comic was most likely trying to come up with a clever response, not necessarily a grammatically correct one! Immunization is the process, Immunity is the outcome. For example you immunize your children so they become immune, thus it was used in the wrong context. She gained Immunity through a process of immunization. YOU WIN!

You are right, but remember that if you keep doing that you are going to end up divorced when you are finally wrong.

Merrian Webster defines immunization as: to make immune
1 a : FREE, EXEMPT <immune from further taxation> b : marked by protection <some criminal leaders are immune from arrest>
2 : not susceptible or responsive <immune to all pleas>; especially : having a high degree of resistance to a disease <immune to diphtheria>

and Immunity:
: the quality or state of being immune; especially : a condition of being able to resist a particular disease especially through preventing development of a pathogenic microorganism or by counteracting the effects of its products

So both are correct.

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Immunity or Immunization? Settle this argument!?

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