Haemophilus influenzae type b
Vaccinating children against Hib has been very effective in cutting rates of Hib infections.
From more than 800 confirmed cases a year in England in the early 1990s, the number of Hib infections has now fallen to fewer than 20 cases a year.
The Hib vaccine is routinely offered to babies as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme .
Babies have three separate doses of Hib vaccine at 8, 12and 16 weeks of age as part of the combined 5-in-1 vaccination .
A booster dose is alsooffered when a child is one year old as part of the combined Hib/MenC booster to provide longer-term protection.
Find out about haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), a bacterium that can cause a number of serious illnesses, particularly in young children.
Hib bacteria can cause several serious infections, including: meningitis infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord Septicaemia blood poisoning pneumonia infection of the lungs p
Hib bacteria can live in the nose and throat of healthy people, and usually don't cause any symptoms. The bacteria are usually spread in a similar way to cold and flu viruses, through infected drop
Vaccinating children against Hib has been very effective in cutting rates of Hib infections. From more than 800 confirmed cases a year in England in the early 1990s, the number of Hib infections has