Your Child May Need a Hib Booster Vaccine – Check With Your Doctor

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a serious bacterial infection that can cause bacterial meningitis and pneumonia, along with several other life threatening diseases. Before the Hib vaccine was created, about 20,000 children under the age of five contracted Hib and close to 1,000 people died each year.

In 2007, due to shortages in the vaccine, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that the vaccine booster dose, typically given to children 12 to 15 months old, be deferred for healthy children. This would conserve enough of the vaccine for infants to receive their primary three doses at ages 2, 4, and 6 months.

As of July of this year, doctors are now able to reinstate the Hib vaccine booster dose thanks to an increase in production by Sanofi Pasteur, a major manufacturer of vaccines.

What does this mean for your children?

• Infants will continue to receive their primary Hib vaccine series on schedule.
• Children between 12 and 15 months will receive their booster on time.
• Older children who missed their booster dose should receive it at their next routinely scheduled visit to their pediatrician.

If you are unsure if your child needs a booster dose, please check with your pediatrician.

For More Information:

Updated Recommendations for Use of Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib) Vaccine: Reinstatement of the Booster Dose at Ages 12–15 Months (CDC)