Immune System

The immune system is a complex bodily function that protects the body from disease. Specialized cells are produced in bone marrow designed to kill off infected cells. Cell-to-cell communication is accomplished by free-floating molecules while chemical signals travel through the blood. This complicated system is fully in place in full-term infants although it is referred to as “naïve” since it has not been exposed to disease that will stimulate the produce of antibodies. Infant inoculations teach the immune system how to react to pathogens that it has not yet encountered. The many childhood colds, sore throats and ear aches help advance the functionality of the immune system. The body and viruses are locked in a perpetual game of chess. One out of ten babies who were born in 1900 died. After the advancement of vaccines, a later report included the expectation that infant mortality would decrease...