Your body at war

Immunologists are aware that the healthy human body is in a constant state of war with infectious microbes, protecting itself naturally and through vaccinations. The battlefield has spread to the media amidst claims that childhood immunisation can cause autism, leading to a drop in vaccination rates. This, in turn, has resulted in a drop in protection rates and the return of nearly eradicated diseases. Shane Cahill talks to Melbourne’s international leaders in the field ahead of the 2011 International Day of Immunology on 29 April.