immunity

[Sane]

Do the British and the Americans use the words "immune" and "immune system" with slightly different meanings while relating them to health?


It seems to me that the British use the words to mean immunity from bacteria or foreign invaders while the Americans use it more widely to denote body's entire defense mechanism.

 

[panjandrum]

I would be very surprised if clinical professionals understood these terms differently either side of the Atlantic.
But what about the general public perception?
I would still be surprised to find a difference.
Could you give us some examples of AE/BE usage that seems to be different?

 

[Rover_KE]

I wouldn't have thought so.

I'll be very surprised if somebody comes in and says there's a difference between the US and UK usage of these medical terms.

Rover

How does this happen? I wrote the above reply when only Sane's question was on the screen. When I posted it, Panj's almost identical response was there before mine.

 

[gasman]

There is no difference on either side of the Atlantic. On the whole terminology is the same, spelling may vary.

 

[Sane]

Thank you all.