Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib) - Diseases and Vaccines

Immunisation
Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib)

Bacteria
Hib is a bacteria which causes serious illness in young children. Hib disease has almost disappeared since the vaccine programme was introduced.

Hib was the most common cause of life-threatening bacterial infection in children under five years old. Before the vaccine one in every 350 children had the disease before they were five years old.

Vaccine
This disease is covered on the New Zealand Immunisation Schedule. The vaccines used are INFANRIX^®- hexa and Hiberix^TM.

How it is spread
Hib bacteria are found in the nose and throat, usually without causing symptoms, and are spread through the air by breathing, coughing and sneezing.

The illness
Hib most often leads to:

meningitis, an infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord
epiglottitis, an infection and swelling in the throat that blocks the breathing passages.

It can also cause other forms of illness such as pneumonia, infection of the joints and skin infection. Although antibiotics can be used to treat the disease, children still die and some risk permanent ongoing damage to the brain and spinal cord.

Severe risks associated with Haemophilus influenzae type b

About one in 20 patients with meningitis dies and one in three survivors has permanent brain or nerve damage.
About one in 100 patients with epiglottitis dies.

Severe risks associated with the vaccine

There are no severe risks associated with the vaccine.

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Page last updated: 23 June 2008