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| What's
the difference between Haemophilus influenzae type b and
influenza? |
 |
| Haemophilus influenzae type b is
a polysaccharide-encapsulated bacteria that causes a variety of invasive
diseases, such as meningitis, epiglottitis, and pneumonia. Influenza is
a virus that causes the disease influenza.
Historical note: Haemophilus
influenzae was first isolated in 1889 from the sputum of a patient
who died of influenza, and the isolated organism (then called the
Pfeiffer bacillus) was assumed to have caused the patient's illness.
Haemophilus influenzae received its name in 1920, to acknowledge its
historical association with influenza. The viral cause of influenza was
not discovered until 1933. |
|
| If a dose of Hib vaccine was given
by mistake to a 2-week-old, should further doses of Hib vaccine be
given? |
|
| Limited data suggest that Hib vaccine
given before 6 weeks of age may induce immunologic tolerance to Hib
antigen and reduce the response to subsequent doses. As a result, Hib
vaccine should not be given earlier than 6 weeks of age. However, if a
dose was administered before 6 weeks of age, it should not be counted as
part of the Hib series. A full series of 3 or 4 doses, depending on the
product used, should be started at 2 months of age as usual. No special
protocol or testing is recommended for children who received a dose of
Hib vaccine before 6 weeks of age. |
|
| What is the Hib schedule for
children who have fallen behind or are completely unvaccinated? |
|
| Healthcare providers should refer to
the catch-up schedule which is approved and published each year by the
ACIP, AAP, and AAFP. Depending on the child's previous Hib vaccine
history, this schedule will be able to establish the number of further
doses needed and the minimum intervals between doses. However, if a
child receives a dose of Hib vaccine at 15 months of age or older, he or
she does not need any further doses regardless of the number of doses
received before 15 months of age. |
|
| Can all of the licensed Hib-containing
vaccines be used interchangeably? |
|
| Yes, with one exception. The GSK Hib
monovalent product (Hiberix) is only licensed for the booster dose. |
|
| If Hiberix is inadvertently given as
some or all of the doses of the primary series, do the doses need to be
repeated? |
|
| No. |
|
| If an infant received one dose of
Hib at 5 months, and another at 15 months, does he/she need any more
doses? |
|
| No. If a child receives a dose of Hib
vaccine at 15 months of age or older, he or she does not need any
further doses regardless of the number of doses received before 15
months of age. |
|
| Since the booster dose of Hib
vaccine can be given at 12-15 months, is it still necessary to "boost"
two months later if the first dose was given at 12-14 months? |
|
| If the child received a primary series
(2 or 3 doses) of Hib vaccine in the first year of life, then the final
(booster) dose of the series may be given as early as 12 months,
provided at least 2 months have passed since the last dose. An
unvaccinated 12-14 month old child should receive one dose as a primary
series, and a booster dose 2 months later. Unvaccinated children 15-59
months of age need only a single dose of any licensed conjugate Hib
vaccine. |
|
| A 4-year-old received dose #3 of Hib
at age 6 months. Does the child need dose #4? |
|
| Yes. All children less than 5 years old
need at least one dose of Hib vaccine on or after the first birthday.
The last dose should be separated from the previous dose by at least 2
months. |
|
| I've just evaluated a 7-year old who
does not have a record of receiving Hib vaccine. Would a dose be
indicated now? |
|
| ACIP does not recommend routine Hib
vaccination of healthy children 59 months of age or older, even if they
have no prior history of Hib vaccination. |
|
| Which adults should receive Hib
vaccine? |
|
| Hib vaccine is not routinely
recommended for healthy adults 19 years and older, even if the person
did not receive Hib vaccine as a child. However, ACIP recommends that
Hib vaccine can be administered to persons with sickle cell disease,
leukemia or HIV infection, or who have anatomic or functional asplenia
if they have not previously received Hib vaccine. One standard pediatric
dose of any Hib vaccine may be used. |
|
| When should Hib vaccine be
administered to a person having a splenectomy? |
|
| When elective splenectomy is planned,
vaccination with pneumococcal, meningococcal, and Hib vaccines should
precede surgery by at least 2 weeks, if possible." If vaccines are not
administered before surgery, they should be administered as soon as the
person's condition stabilizes post-operatively. |
|
| If a child receives a different
brands of Hib vaccine at 2 and 4 months of age should a dose also be
given at 6 months of age? |
|
| Yes. If different brands of Hib vaccine
are given at 2 and 4 months of age then the child should receive a third
primary dose of either vaccine at 6 months of age. A 2-dose primary
schedule (e.g., doses at age 2 and 4 months) is only appropriate when
both doses are Merck's PedvaxHib. |
|
| Reviewed on 1/13 |
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