What is Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Vaccine?

Haemophilus influenzaetype B, or Hib, disease is caused by a bacterial infection. It usually strikes children under five years old. Hib disease can lead to:

• Meningitis
• Pneumonia
• Swelling in the throat
• Other types of infections
• Death

People can carry Hib bacteria and not know it. These germs can spread from person to person, usually through droplets from an infected person. When the germs stay in the nose and throat, sickness will probably not occur. But when they spread into the lungs or the bloodstream, they can cause serious problems.

Before the vaccine, severe Hib disease affected about 20,000 US children under age five.

Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Other symptoms, depending on the part of the body...