What is Haemophilis Influenzae (HIB)

What is Haemophilus Influenzae type B?

Haemophilus influenzae is a name for any infection caused by the bacteria called H. influenzae. There are 6 identifiable types of H. influenzae (named a through f) and other non-identifiable types (called nontypeable). The one that people are most familiar with is H. influenzae type b or Hib.

These bacteria live in people’s noses and throats and usually cause no harm. However, the bacteria can sometimes move to other parts of the body and cause infection.

Experts do not know how long it takes after H. influenzae enters a person’s body for someone to get sick. However, it could take as little as a few days before symptoms appear.

How It Spreads:

People spread H. influenzae, including Hib, to others through respiratory droplets. This happens when someone who has the bacteria in their nose or throat coughs or sneezes. People who are not sick but have the bacteria in their noses and throats can still spread the bacteria. That is how H. influenzae spreads most of the time. The bacteria can also spread to people who have close or lengthy contact with a person with Hib. In general, it is considered minimally contagious.

Before the vaccine, most children colonized Hib in the back of their thought and acquired natural immunity by the age of five or six. 

People at Increased Risk of contacting Hib:

According to the CDC, H. influenzae, including Hib, occurs mostly in babies and children younger than 5 years old. Adults 65 years or older, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and people with certain medical conditions are also at increased risk. Those medical conditions include:

• Sickle cell disease

• Asplenia (no spleen)

• HIV infection

• Antibody and complement deficiency syndromes (rare conditions that affect the body’s ability to fight infections)

• Cancer requiring treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow stem cell transplant

Source: (1) CDC Disease Transmission 

Haemophilus Influenzae type b can cause many different kinds of infections. These infections usually affect children under 5 years of age, but can also affect adults with certain medical conditions.  Hib bacteria can cause mild illness, such as ear infections or bronchitis, or they can cause severe illness, such as infections of the bloodstream. Severe Hib infection, also called invasive Hib, requires treatment in a hospital and can sometimes result in death.

Hib infection can also cause pneumonia, severe swelling in the throat, making it hard to breathe, infections of the blood, joints, bones, and covering of the heart, and severe symptoms like meningitis.

Source: (2) CDC

All infants and children who participated in Hib vaccine pre-licensing clinical trials also received other vaccines in addition to the Hib vaccine. As a result, it is not possible to determine the specific adverse reaction to monitor for following Hib vaccination. (Source: FDA inserts) 

The Hib vaccine does not cover any other type of Haemophilus influenzae bacteria bacteria. 

The vaccine is usually given as 3 or 4 doses (depending on brand). Hib vaccine may be given as a stand-alone vaccine, or as part of a combination vaccine (a type of vaccine that combines more than one vaccine together into one shot).

Infants will usually get their first dose of Hib vaccine at 2 months of age, and will usually complete the series at 12-15 months of age.

Children between 12-15 months and 5 years of age who have not previously been completely vaccinated against Hib “may need 1 or more doses of Hib vaccine.”  

Children over 5 years old and adults usually do not receive the Hib vaccine, but it might be “recommended for older children or adults with asplenia or sickle cell disease, before surgery to remove the spleen, or following a bone marrow transplant. Hib vaccine may also be recommended for people 5 to 18 years old with HIV.”

Hib vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Hib Vaccine Inserts:

• Hiberix Insert 
• ActHIB Insert
• PedvaxHIB Insert
• Vaxelis Insert (DTaP, Polio, Hib, and Hepatitis B combined) 
• Pentacel Insert (Hib, DTaP, Polio) 
• Comvax Insert (Hep B and Hib combined) 
• MenHibrix Insert (Hib and Meningococcal combined) 

While each Hib vaccine is different, some of them contain:

• aluminum 
• formaldehyde 
• Polysorbate 80
• glutaraldehyde
• bovine serum albumin
• neomycin

Adverse Reactions of the Vaccine:

HIB+Hep B (Comvax)- irritability, somnolence, crying (unusual, high pitched, prolonged for more than 4 hours), anorexia, vomiting, fever over 103 degrees, diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, rash, rhinorrhea, respiratory congestion, cough, anaphylaxis, angioedema, urticaria, seizures, pruritus, edema, syncope, arthritis.

Haemophilus influenzae type B (aka HIB)

Pentacle HIB combo vaccine had a 1 in 25 serious reaction rate according to one of the studies. The top reported reactions were pneumonia, asthma, bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis, and dehydration. 1 in 1,196 died (they aren’t sure if it's related or not, but that’s the facts and the potential risks).

Menhibrix had a 1 in 54 serious adverse reaction rate within 31 days following vaccination. 1 in 20 had a serious reaction after 6 months.

A total of 443 cases of HIB infection occurred in children eligible for vaccination; 363 (82%) were fully vaccinated.

Source: (3) Journey Boot, Meningitis 

Symptoms of Hib:

• Haemophilus influenzae can cause many different kinds of infections. Symptoms depend on the part of the body that is infected.
• Pneumonia. Symptoms of pneumonia usually include: Fever and chills, Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Sweating, Chest pain, Headache, Muscle pain or aches, Excessive tiredness
• Bloodstream Infection. Symptoms of bloodstream infection usually include: Fever and chills, Excessive tiredness, Pain in the belly, Nausea with or without vomiting, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Altered mental status (confusion), Bloodstream infection from H. influenzae can occur with or without pneumonia.
• Severe and rare symptoms: Meningitis. Symptoms of meningitis typically include sudden onset of Fever, Headache, Stiff neck, Nausea with or without vomiting, Photophobia (eyes being more sensitive to light), and Altered mental status (confusion). Babies with meningitis may be irritable, vomit, feed poorly, or appear to be slow or inactive. In young babies, doctors may also test the child’s reflexes, which can be abnormal with meningitis.

Source: (4) CDC HIB Symptoms 

Treatment for HIB:

People diagnosed with H. influenzae disease take antibiotics, usually for 10 days, to treat the infection. Depending on how serious the infection is, people with H. influenzae disease may need care in a hospital. Other treatments may include:

• Breathing support
• Medication to treat low blood pressure
• Wound care for parts of the body with damaged skin
• When H. influenzae causes milder infections, like bronchitis or ear infections, doctors may give antibiotics to prevent complications. 

Source: (5) CDC

• The HIB vaccine killed almost 900 children and yet it was found to be okay. WHAT? Source (6) PubMed, Adverse events following Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, 1990-2013
• HIB is naturally controlled by breastfeeding. If you are nursing your child no need for the vax. Source: (7) FDA, HIB Inserrt 
• VAERS received 29,747 reports after HIB vaccines; 5179 (17%) were serious, including 896 reports of deaths. Source: (8) PubMed Adverse events following Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, 1990-2013
• In Minnesota, a state epidemiologist concluded that the HIB vaccine increases the risk of illness when a study revealed that vaccinated children were *five times* more likely to contract meningitis than unvaccinated children. Source: (9) Mercola, Vaccine Myths 
• The Hib vaccines had no placebo-controlled trials. Source (10) Vaccine Injury Chart 
• Association between Type 1 Diabetes and the Hib vaccine. Source: (11) PubMed Association between type-1 Diabetes, (12) Journey Boost
• Breast milk may provide long-term immunity to Hib. Source: (13) PubMed, Breastfeeding provides passive and likely long-lasting active immunity
• Hib Vaccine causes peanut allergy. Source: (14) How to Cause A Peanut Allergy 
• A good description of each Hib vaccine from NVIC, HIB Vaccine Info Page.