Hib Vaccine for Infants: Risks of Missing a Dose & Disease Prevention

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), a bacteria, causes serious infections in children. Once the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the United States, Hib disease is now controlled with widespread vaccination of infants.

Hib Disease

• Invasive Hib disease causes meningitis, pneumonia, epiglottitis and other infections of the blood, bone and joints, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Vaccine Schedule

• Two Hib vaccines are available. One is administered to infants at 2, 4 and 6 months of age; the other requires only two doses administered at 2 and 4 months of age. Both vaccines require a booster dose at 12 to 15 months of age.

Missed Doses

• If a child misses a dose, administer the dose as soon as possible. The series does not need to be restarted.

Older Children

• Hib disease is uncommon in children older than 5 years. The CDC does not recommend vaccination for unvaccinated children who are older than 5 years.

Decline Vaccination

• Declining vaccination may put an infant at risk for Hib infection because the disease still exists. If too many children remain unvaccinated, Hib disease could undergo a resurgence.