Are unvaccinated people healthier?

Vaccines are like a practice test for your immune system. They teach your body how to fight germs without making you sick. When you get a vaccine, it shows your immune system a part of a germ or a weakened version of the germ. This doesn’t harm you, but it’s enough for your body to recognize it as an invader.

When a pathogen invades, especially for the first time, it can replicate in your body faster than your immune system can neutralize it. When that happens, you can get sick. Most pathogens will only cause minor illness, but some can cause serious illness, permanent damage, or even death. Luckily, we have developed vaccines against some of these more serious diseases.

The vaccination process introduces modified forms of pathogens to your immune system without causing disease, so if you encounter the actual pathogen at a later time, the memory B cells you developed from being vaccinated can recognize the antigens and quickly activate antibody production. Your body doesn’t know from one antigen to another, so your body doesn’t know that one antigen is from a pathogen or if it was from a vaccine. There is no difference in how your immune system responds to those antigens.

So, vaccines don’t destroy your immune function. They actually boost it by teaching your body how to recognize and fight off specific diseases. This way, if you’re ever exposed to the real thing, your body is ready to protect you, often without you even knowing it.