By: Alexis Juergensen, DO & Robert W. Frenck, Jr, MD, FAAP
Haemophilus Influenzae type b, also called H. Influenzae or Hib for short, is type of bacteria that can cause serious illness, especially in children younger than 5 years old.
Hib infection can be mild for some children and serious for others. Its effects range from a simple ear infection to deafness and even brain damage.
Hib moves fast between people who live or go to school together. It spreads through coughing, sneezing and sharing everyday objects like spoons or cups. The good news is that Hib infections are easily preventable thanks to vaccines.
Read on to learn more about Hib in children, including symptoms, causes, treatment and why the vaccine is so important. Find out how Hib spreads, when to call a doctor and how to protect your child.
How do kids get Hib?
Children can get Hib when they breathe in tiny drops of saliva or mucus from an infected person. These tiny droplets can spread when someone coughs or sneezes.
Young children and toddlers have a higher risk of getting infected. Some children carry the Hib germ in their nose or throats without feeling sick. However, they can still infect others without realizing it.
Hib signs and symptoms in children
Some Hib infections are mild, but others can be quite serious and could send your child to the hospital.
Hib symptoms in children may include:
Fever
Headache
Lack of energy
Swelling/redness of the eyes or cheeks
Pain or swelling of bones or joints
Difficulty breathing
Cough
High pitched breathing, drooling
Infections Hib can cause include:
Hib, meningitis and epiglottis
While Hib can cause a range of infections, two of the most dangerous are meningitis and epiglottitis. Both can become medical emergencies and require immediate treatment.
- Meningitis is a serious infection of the brain and spinal cord. In young children, meningitis symptoms include lack of appetite, irritability, extreme sleepiness and sometimes seizures. In older children, symptoms include neck stiffness, headache, high fevers and confusion. Children may look very sick.
- Epiglottitis makes the flap at the back of the throat swell. The swelling can block the airway so the child can’t breathe. Children may gasp, drool or choke.
What to do if your child may have Hib
If you think your child has an infection caused by Hib, call or schedule a visit to the pediatrician as soon as possible. Hib can seriously harm your child’s health.
Kids with severe Hib infections need to be treated in a hospital. They may need intravenous antibiotics (antibiotics through a small tube in their vein) for 7 to 10 days or more if they have a more serious infection.
Kids with epiglottitis may need a tube inserted in their throat to help them breathe.
What parents can do to prevent Hib
The Hib vaccine is one of the first shots babies get. It teaches their immune system to recognize and resist the bacteria.
Your baby needs four doses of the Hib vaccine, at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12-15 months of age.
The Hib vaccine can be given along with other immunizations during the same visit. It also can be combined with other vaccines in a single shot, to help limit the number of pokes your child receives.
Why the vaccine against Hib is important for all of us
Before the Hib vaccine became available in the late 1980s, Hib made thousands of kids sick every year. It used to be the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children. By the age of 5, about 1 in 200 children experienced a serious Hib infection in their lungs or blood.
Since the Hib vaccine became available, the number of young children who get sick from Hib has decreased by more than 99%.
Some children are too young to get the Hib vaccine or have not received all the doses yet. They are more vulnerable and are at risk of getting very sick. When older children get vaccinated, they can help protect newborns and younger children who are not fully protected yet.
Possible effects after vaccination
Sometimes, children have redness, swelling or soreness where they got the shot. These effects are mild and last only a couple of days. In rare cases, a mild fever can happen. For any signs that concern you, call your pediatrician.
If someone has a serious reaction to a vaccine, reporting the reaction to the Vaccine Adverse Reporting System (VAERS) can help government agencies monitor vaccine reactions and safety.
Remember
Hib infection can be very serious, especially for children under five years old, but it can be prevented with vaccines. Make sure your child gets all recommended Hib shots. If your child has symptoms or you are worried, call your pediatrician right away.
More information
About Dr. Juergensen
| Alexis Juergensen, DO, is a Pediatric Infectious Disease fellow at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where she also completed her pediatric residency. She is currently pursuing research focused on Antimicrobial and Diagnostic Stewardship as well as immune cell regulation in children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Dr. Juergensen is a post-residency training member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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About Dr. Frenck
| Robert W. Frenck, Jr, MD, FAAP, is board-certified in general pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases. He practices at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. Within the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Frenck is a member of both the Section on Uniformed Services and the Section on Infectious Diseases.
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