The Hib vaccine protects your child against Hib disease and other forms of severe bacterial infections such as bacterial meningitis, epiglottitis and severe pneumonia. The Hib vaccine is made up of smaller piece of the whole Hib bacterium. After getting the vaccine, your body learns to attack Hib bacteria if it is exposed to it. As a result you will not get sick from infections cause by the Hib bacterium.

Who should get the Hib vaccine and when ?

There are various brands of this vaccine available. Your child may receive three of three or four doses depending on which vaccine is given.

Schedule

 
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months (not needed if the PedvaxHIB or Comvax brand of vaccine was given at 2 and 4 months)
• between 12 – 15 months

 
Hib can be given as a shot itself. It can also be given in combination with other vaccines and given as a single injection.

It is crucial to get this vaccine on time because the diseases it protects against tend to strike children before the age of 2.

Children over the age of 5 do not need this vaccine unless they have certain medical conditions such as sickle-cell anemia, HIV and others . It may also be given to older children or adults before surgery to remove the spleen or following a bone marrow transplant.

Who should not get the vaccine ?

You should not get the Hib vaccine if you fall into this category :

 
• infants younger than 6 weeks of age
• children who has had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose

Who should wait ?

If  your child is ill with something more severe than a cold or have a fever should have their vaccination rescheduled.

Risk associated with the Hib vaccine.

A vaccine like any medication can cause allergic reaction . This is usually mild and go away on their own. Even though serious reactions are possible it is rare. Most people do not develop any reaction at all.

mild problems : These include the following :

 
• fever
• redness, swelling ot warmth at the injection site

 
These symptoms usually show up right after the shot is given and last about 1 to 3 days.

What do I do if my child has a serious allergic reaction ?

Look for the following signs in your signs in your child

 
• behavioral change
• very high fever
• allergic reactions such as difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, hives, swelling of face and throat, dizziness and weakness

If you child is experiencing any of these call your emergency number or 911 immediately. After that you or your doctor should report it to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) through the VAERS website or by calling 1-800-822-7967.