Abstract
Post-exposure prophylaxis is an immunization of human organism after exposure to a specific pathogen or a prevention of disease development by medical prophylaxis. In clinical practice, we distinguish between active and passive immunization.
The indication of immunization type depends on many circumstances (time since exposure, immunity status, age, gravidity,...). From the long-term point of view, active immunization is more profitable.
Passive immunization has almost no contraindications, but it is more expensive and in some cases, it needs to be repeated. In indicated cases, passive and active immunization methods are often combined (tetanus, viral hepatitis A, viral hepatitis B, rabies, varicella, ...).
Post-exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection follows specific criteria.