Inflammation is not a measure of immune strength. It’s often a sign that early control failed. When the adaptive immune response doesn’t engage quickly, the innate immune system escalates to compensate. Cytokines rise, vascular permeability increases, and immune cells flood tissue. That response can be lifesaving—but it’s inefficient and costly. The most effective immune responses are often clinically quiet, not because the immune system is weak, but because it recognized the threat early and re