Update on Haemophilus influenzae serotype b and meningococcal vaccines

Before 1985, Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib) was the most common cause of invasive bacterial disease in children less than 5 years of age in the United States, causing approximately 12,000 cases of bacterial meningitis and 7500 cases of other invasive Hib infections each year.(20) Rates of Hib were highest among children less than 18 months of age; before 5 years of age, one in 200 children developed invasive Hib disease.(20,) (65) The case-fatality rate was 2% to 5%, and 15% to 30% of survivors of meningitis had hearing impairment or other neurologic sequelae.(20) The burden of illness caused by Hib made the development and use of effective Hib vaccines a public health priority. The use of these vaccines has resulted in the virtual elimination of Hib invasive disease among infants in only 10 years, which places this intervention among the most notable public health achievements of the past decade.(18)