IMMUNIZATIONS – SPECIFIC VACCINES
HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE-B (HIB-conj)
Until the early 1990’s HIB was the most frequent cause of serious bacterial illness in children under 5 years old. It is most famous as the usual (but not the only) cause of childhood meningitis, an infection of the fluid and membranes around the brain which even today kills 5% of its victims and leaves 25-50% permanently brain damaged. It is also the culprit in most cases of epiglottitis – a relatively rare but very severe and fast moving throat infection which can cut off the airway and suffocate a child if it is not recognized in time.
Side effects from HIB-conj are minor and consist of redness/swelling at the injection site for 1-2 days in only about 10% of patients. A transient low grade fever occurs in less than 1 out of 100 children. Beside the risk of a severe allergic reaction (which theoretically can happen with any medication) there are no known serious risks.
For more information, please visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at:
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (HIB):: http://www.immunize.org/vis/hi99.pdf