What means immunity?

If pathogens such as viruses enter your body, your immune system works at full speed to fight them. Among other things, antibodies are produced in the process.

These antibodies are targeted at specific pathogens. Specific antibodies recognize a particular virus or bacterium, bind to the pathogen and allow the immune cells to attack it.

Once your immune system has made the antibodies, they remain in your body for a long time. How long depends on the class of antibodies. IgG antibodies, for example, are active in fighting viruses for years in some cases. As long as they are in the body, they can render the same virus harmless if they encounter it again. If this is the case, you are virtually immune to the pathogen – this is called immunization/immunity.