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  1. Home
  2. Diseases
  3. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease
  • The disease
  • Transmission
  • Signs and symptoms
  • Vaccination recommendations and coverage
  • Who is most affected?
  • How common is it?
  • Hospitalisations/deaths
  • Comment
  • Links and resources

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease

Key Findings

The disease

Haemophilus influenzae type b disease, also known as Hib, is a bacterial infection that can cause severe illness, particularly in young children.

Transmission

Hib spreads through droplets from the coughing or sneezing of an infected person, particularly in closed settings such as households and office workplaces.

Signs and symptoms

  • Fever
  • Severe headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Fits or seizures
  • Severe drowsiness
  • Difficulty waking up
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Shortness of breath, cough and breathing problems
  • Restlessness
  • Drooling
  • Joint pain, swelling and reduced movement of joints
  • Red, tender skin

Vaccination recommendations and coverage

A Hib vaccine is recommended at:

  • 2 months of age
  • 4 months of age
  • 6 months of age
  • 18 months of age.

Who is most affected?

Those most at risk are:

  • children under 5 years of age
  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
  • people who have medical conditions that mean they have low immunity (e.g. people being treated for cancer, people with HIV/AIDS, etc.).

How common is it?

There were 73 notifications of invasive Hib disease recorded during 2016–2019, with 22 (30.1%) of these in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. The highest age-specific notification rate was seen in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged ˂5 years (3.7 per 100,000 population per year). No cases were recorded in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–24 years. 

  • The largest reduction in Hib incidence was seen in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children after vaccination was introduced in 1993.
  • Hib notification rates among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children <5 years old remain 12 times higher than those in other children.

Hospitalisations/deaths

No hospitalisation or death data are available for Hib disease, as there are no specific codes to separate those caused by Hib and other types of Haemophilus.

Comment

While vaccination coverage rates for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children have continued to improve and are better than for other children when assessed at 24 and 60 months, rates of notifications remain higher for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children. It is therefore important for vaccinations to be administered on time to reduce the risk of disease.

Links and resources

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease fact sheet – NSW

Hib disease in Australia – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Recommendations | Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) – Australian Immunisation Handbook

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Westmead Locked Bag 4001, 
Westmead NSW 2145  
ABN 53 188 579 090

SCHN-NCIRS@health.nsw.gov.au

We acknowledge that the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) is on the land of traditional owners who are part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Australians, and recognise their culture, history, diversity and their deep connection to the land. Together, through research and partnership, we aim to move to a place of equity for all. NCIRS acknowledges and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations from which our research, staff and community are drawn.

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