Xiaole’s Notes & Highlights for An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives
Whereas vaccines prompt our own response, antibiotics import a response from the outside, and that is an absolutely critical distinction for our everyday health. The reason is that when you add an outside force, you disrupt the natural order. Even if the goal is preservation of life, and even if it works, that doesn’t mean the process is without important risks. In the case of antibiotics, these terrific killers don’t just kill off bad bacteria; they target good stuff too, including bacteria crucial to your health and well-being.