Less than 5 percent of all microbes are germs.
Usually your body and other microbes on your skin stop the invaders. But sometimes the germs multiply too fast, or your body is too run down to resist them. Then, harmful microbes get into your system, and you get sick.
Once you are infected, your body fights back. If germs get into your blood, special white blood cells consume or destroy them. Your immune system makes antibodies to resist certain diseases in the future. For example, antibodies for measles keep you from catching it again.
Doctors can give you a vaccine to keep you from getting certain diseases, ever! Vaccines are made from a dead or weakened form of the disease-causing germ. They help your body produce antibodies. However, the best infection protection is washing your hands!
