Hemophilus Influenza Type B (Hib) Vaccines

H. influenzae is a gram – negative cocobacillus. There is 1 of 6 antigenically distinct capsular polysaccharides. H. influenzae type B (Hib) was the most common cause of bacterial meningitisin children under 4 years of age. Hib also causes pneumonia, occult febrile bacteremia, meningitis, epiglottitis, septic arthritis, cellulitis, otitis media and purulent pericarditis. Since 1988, when Hib conjugate vaccines were introduced, the incidence of invasive Hib disease in infants and young children has decreased by 99% to fewer than 1 case per 100.000 children under 5 years of age. In our country Hib vaccines were introduced to vaccination schedules with DTaP and IPV vaccines, starting in infants at two months old.