Immune Globulin

Disease Prevention

You may be given an immune globulin if you are exposed to certain infectious diseases, such as hepatitis A, rubella, or measles. The immune globulin may prevent or reduce the severity of the illness if given shortly after exposure. The time period during which an injection provides this benefit ranges from days to months, depending on the disease.

Immune globulins do not provide long-term protection in the same way as a traditional vaccine. The protection they provide is short-term, usually lasting a few months. It is still possible to get the disease after the immune globulin has worn off.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: February 12, 2009
Medical Review:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
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