Antibodies are substances in the blood plasma that fight infections.
These antibodies can protect us from becoming ill if we are exposed to the same infectious agents sometime in the future. When someone is given IG, that person is using other people's antibodies to help fight off or prevent an illness from occurring. This protection is temporary and should not be confused with getting an immunization, which provides longer-term protection. Immune globulins are sometimes called gamma globulins or immune serum globulins. In addition, several chemical processes are used to sterilize the product to eliminate other disease-causing germs.