Hib: the Hib form of meningitis

The Hib vaccine is given in three doses: at 2 months, 3 months and 4 months

Hib stands for Haemophilus influenzae type B. The main illness caused by this infection is meningitis: Hib is the commonest form of meningitis in young children. About one in ten children who have this illness will suffer lasting harm, such as:

• Brain damage, deafness and paralysis
• Epiglottitis, which is a severe swelling in the throat and difficulty in breathing
• Pneumonia
• Blood poisoning
• Infections of the bones and joints

Before the immunisation was available in the UK, one in every 600 children caught Hib by the time they were five years old. It was responsible for about 65 deaths and 150 cases of brain-damaged children each year.

It is vital to remember that the Hib immunisation only helps protect children against the Hib form of meningitis. It will not protect them against other types of meningitis (meningococcal, pneumococcal or viral). Many parents worry about these kinds of meningitis, but noticing and getting meningitis treated early can lead to a full recovery.

Side effects