CDC VACCINATION INFORMATION ABOUT HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B (Hib) DISEASE

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease is serious. It is most common in children less than 5 years old.

Hib can cause:

• meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord coverings)
• lasting brain damage
• pneumonia
• infections of the blood, joints, bones, soft tissue under the skin, throat, and the covering of the heart
• death

About the Vaccine

Benefits of the Vaccine

Vaccination is the best way to protect against Hib disease. Because most children get the Hib vaccine, there are now many fewer cases of disease caused by Hib. There would be many more cases if we stopped vaccinating children.

Hib Vaccine Schedule

Most children should have a total of 3 or 4 doses of Hib vaccine. They should have Hib vaccine at:

• 2 months of age
• 4 months of age
• 6 months of age. This dose is not needed with some brands of vaccine.
• 12-15 months of age

Other vaccine may be given at the same time as Hib vaccine.

Who should get MMR vaccine?

Most doctors recommend that almost all children less than 5 years of age get Hib vaccine. Tell your doctor or nurse if the child getting the vaccine:

• ever had a serious allergic reaction or other problem with the Hib vaccine
• currently has moderate or severe illness

If you are not sure, ask your doctor or nurse.

What are the risks from Hib vaccine?

Hib vaccine is one of the safest of all vaccines.

It has not been shown to cause any serious problems.

As with any medicine, there is a very small risk that serious problems, even death, could occur after getting a vaccine.

Getting the disease is much more likely to cause serious illness than getting the vaccine.

Mild problems

If these problems come, they usually start within 1 day of vaccination. They may last 2-3 days. They include:

• redness, warmth, or swelling where the shot was given (1 out of every 4 doses)
• fever over 101° or (1 out of every 100 doses) vomiting, diarrhea, or crying (1 out of every 100 doses)

Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (non-aspirin) may be used to reduce fever and soreness.

What to do if there is a serious reaction:

• Call a doctor or get the child to a doctor right away.
• Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Report form or call: 1 (800) 822-7967 (toll-free).

If you want to learn more, ask your doctor or nurse. She/he can give you the vaccine package insert or suggest other sources of information.

Source:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control