I understand a vaccine, a small dose of ‘x’ is given so your body can realise it’s foreign and learn how to fight it when the real thing comes.
But surely with a penicillin dose not being a vaccine,the body now has both it AND the foreign body to deal with? How does it’kill’ the intruder and not detrimental to the immune system?
Edit; Added words for clarification.
Edit 2; Thanks all, I have an understanding now!
In: 6
[This is penicillin](https://image.shutterstock.com/image-vector/penicillin-chemical-formula-on-white-260nw-1485167528.jpg). It’s a chemical *produced by* the penicillium microorganism. When you take penicillin you are taking this chemical, **not ingesting the penicillium (mould) itself**.
Penicillin (the drug) only has a few dozen *atoms*. That’s thousands of times smaller than microorganisms. Your immune system doesn’t attack anything this size.
As someone else already said, your body deals with foreign chemicals (like penicillin) by filtering them out of your blood at the kidneys, which is what happens.
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