The Haemophilus Influenzae B (Hib) Vaccine

The disease

The bacterium Haemophilus influenzae B (Hib) causes meningitis, blood infections (sepsis), and pneumonia. Hib symptoms include fever, headaches, vomiting, and blurred consciousness. Hib complications may cause permanent damage to the nervous system, resulting in developmental disability, seizures, and deafness.

Hib disease is most common in infants aged 4-5 years. It can be fatal, with a mortality rate of around 7.5%. It can also cause disability in one-third of sick children.

The vaccine

The Haemophilus influenzae B vaccine is administered as part of the DTaP-Hib-IPV vaccine, which also contains vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio, as part of a routine vaccination program for infants and children.

There are also separate vaccines for individuals with sensitivity to any of the vaccine's components. You can discuss the possibility of dividing the vaccination with the Family Care Center (Tipat Halav) nurse.

• Vaccine composition: the Haemophilus influenzae B vaccine contains components from the bacterium’s cell envelope.
• Vaccination schedule: the vaccine is administered at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months of age.
• How and where the vaccine is administered: the vaccine is administered by injection into the thigh.

The influence of the vaccine in Israel: in 1994, the Hib vaccine was incorporated into routine vaccines in Israel. Since then, the number of patients suffering from Hib meningitis has dropped from 100 patients a year to only a few cases among unvaccinated individuals.

Possible side effects and how to relieve them

Some people may experience side effects after getting the vaccine, but these are usually mild and go away on their own after a day or two:

• Redness and pain at the injection site and local swelling or in the entire limb: you can apply a clean cloth soaked in lukewarm water to the injection site and avoid massaging the area.
• Fever: you can administer an analgesic to help relieve pain and reduce fever.
• General discomfort: lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, consistent crying, diarrhea, restlessness, drowsiness: You can administer an analgesic to help relieve pain and reduce fever.
• Rare phenomena: seizures appearing up to three days after vaccination. These seizures are usually related to the fever and are not considered dangerous or cause permanent nerve damage.

Further information about vaccine side effects