Brand Names

Category

• Immunizing agent, active

Description Drug

Haemophilus b polysaccharide - hem-OFF-fil-us BEE pol-i-SAK-ka-ryd vaccine is an active immunizing agent using to prevent infection by Haemophilus influenzae type b - Hib bacteria. The vaccine works by causing your body to produce its own protection - antibodies against the disease.

The following information applies only to the Haemophilus b polysaccharide vaccine.

Infection by Haemophilus influenzae type b - Hib bacteria can cause life-threatening illnesses, such as meningitis, which effects the brain; epiglottitis, which can cause death by suffocation; pericarditis, which effects the heart; pneumonia, which effects the lungs; and septic arthritis, which effects the bones and joints. Hib meningitis causes death in 5 to 10% of children who are infected. Always approximately 30% of children who survive Hib meningitis are left with some type of serious permanent damage, such as mental retardation, deafness, epilepsy, or partial blindness.

Immunization against Hib is recommended for all children 24 months up to 5 years of age - i.e., up to the 5th birthday. In addition, immunization is recommended for children 18 to 24 months of age, especially:

• Children attending day-care facilities.
• Children with chronic illnesses associated with increased risk of Hib disease. These illnesses include asplenia, sickle cell disease, antibody deficiency syndromes, immunosuppression and Hodgkin's disease.
• Children 18 to 24 months of age who have already had Hib disease. These children may get the disease again if they are not immunized. Children who developed Hib disease when 24 months of age or older don't needed to be immunized, since most children in this age group will develop antibodies against the disease.
• Children with human immunodeficiency virus - HIV infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - AIDS.
• Children of certain racial groups, such as American Indian and Alaskan Eskimo. Children in these groups seem to be at increased risk of Hib disease.
• Children living close together with groups of other people. Close living conditions increase a child's risk of being exposed to people who have Hib infection or who carry the bacteria.

It is recommended that children immunized when they were 18 to 24 months of age receive a second dose of vaccine, since these children may not produce enough antibodies to fully protect them from Hib disease. Children who were first immunized when they were 24 months of age or older don't needed to be reimmunized.

This vaccine is available only from your family doctor or other authorized health care professional, in the following dosage form:

Parenteral
• Injection

Brand Names

Commonly using names are:

• Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine
• HbPV
• Hib CPS
• Hib polysaccharide vaccine
• PRP

*† Not commercially available in the USA and Canada.