Acquired / Adaptive immunity
Acquired immunity is immunity you develop over your lifetime. It can come from: a vaccine exposure to an infection or disease another person’s antibodies (infection-fighting immune cells) When pathogens (germs) are introduced into your body from a vaccine or a disease, your body learns to target those germs in the future by making new antibodies. Antibodies from another person can also help your body fight an infection – but this type of immunity is temporary. Acquired immunity is different than innate immunity, which you’re born with. Your innate immune system doesn’t fight specific germs. Instead, it protects against all germs, like bacteria and viruses, by trying to keep them from entering your body. Your innate immune system includes things such as: your cough reflex stomach acid your skin and its enzymes mucus If pathogens get through the barriers in your innate immune system, specific antibodies in the rest of your immune system need to mobilize to fight them off.
