How necessary is immunoglobulin for travellers going abroad?

Abstract

Sera obtained from 511 travellers overseas from the West of Scotland were tested for antibody to hepatitis A; 64 per cent were seropositive. The seropositivity rate varied with age, ranging from 30 per cent in those aged under 20 years to 89 per cent in those over 60. These findings indicate that the beneficial effect of giving immunoglobulin to prevent hepatitis A is likely to be high in younger travellers but becomes increasingly less necessary in older persons.