immunity

Immunity is the body’s natural ability to prevent and fight infections caused by germs (pathogens) like bacteria and viruses.

• How it works: Your immune system acts like a security team. It can recognise “outsiders” (pathogens), attack them, and remove them before they cause serious illness.
• Why people differ: Two people in the same place may not fall sick equally often because their immunity can be stronger or weaker due to factors like nutrition, sleep, stress, age, and past exposure to germs.
• Two main kinds:
  • Natural (inborn) immunity: Protection you are born with, like the skin acting as a barrier and stomach acid killing many germs.
  • Acquired immunity: Protection your body builds over time after fighting an infection or after vaccination.
• Memory is the superpower: After your immune system meets a germ once, it can “remember” it using memory cells. Next time, it responds faster and stronger.
• Vaccines and immunity: Vaccines help the immune system practise safely, so it can build acquired immunity without you getting the actual disease.
• Important idea: Immunity does not mean you will never get sick; it often means you are less likely to get the disease, or you may get a milder infection and recover faster.