Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccines

On this page you’ll find an overview of Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccines, including what they are, who can get them and why they’re important. 

• The Hib vaccine protects against illness caused by Hib bacteria.
• Before the wide use of Hib vaccines, it was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis and one of the biggest killers of children under five years of age.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that all countries include Hib vaccines as part of their routine childhood immunisation programme.
• Hib vaccines are safe, and are estimated to have saved nearly three million lives across the world by 2024. 
• Vaccination is the best way to protect against serious illnesses caused by Hib. It’s becoming even more important as Hib antibiotic resistance grows.

What are Hib vaccines?

The Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine is also known as the Hib vaccine. It protects against illness caused by Hib bacteria. Hib is a type of bacteria that can cause a number of serious illnesses, especially in young children. Meningitis is the most severe illness caused by Hib, occurring in 50-65% of infections.¹ Hib can also cause pneumonia, sepsis, epiglottitis and cellulitis.

Read more about Hib meningitis.

Before immunisation against Hib became routine, it was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis globally and one of the biggest killers of children under five years of age.²

Vaccination is the best way to protect against Hib meningitis.

The Hib vaccine is a conjugate vaccine. This means it’s made from a small fragment of the sugar coating on the outside of Hib bacteria linked to a harmless protein. If you come into contact with Hib bacteria, the vaccine works by causing your body to produce antibodies to protect against infection.
 
The vaccine not only protects you, but also stops the bacteria from living in your nose and throat (known as ‘carriage’). This helps to protect the wider population from the disease by preventing the spread of the bacteria.

There are several different formulations of the Hib vaccine. Some are given as a standalone vaccine. Others are part of a ‘combination’ vaccine, which can protect against several serious diseases in one shot.

Most countries use a combination vaccine known as a pentavalent vaccine, which protects against five major diseases in one vaccine:
 

• Diphtheria.
• Pertussis (whooping cough).
• Tetanus.
• Hib.
• Hepatitis B.

In the UK, a hexavalent vaccine known as the 6-in-1 vaccine is offered. It protects infants against six diseases:
 

• Diphtheria.
• Tetanus.
• Pertussis (whooping cough).
• Hepatitis B.
• Poliomyelitis (polio).
• Hib.

Who can get a Hib vaccine?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that all countries include Hib vaccines in their national immunisation programmes.⁶ 193 out of 194 WHO member states now provide the Hib vaccine to all young children as part of their national immunisation schedules.^7,8

The Hib vaccine was quickly adopted by high-income countries in the early 1990s and through Gavi's Hib Initiative, lower-income countries also gained access.  All countries in the world, except for China, now have a routine childhood Hib vaccination programme.
 
The WHO recommends that the Hib vaccine is given as a series of three doses. Depending on where in the world you live, these doses are typically given as one of the vaccine schedules below:

• Two primary doses + one booster, or
• Three primary doses with no booster, or
• Three primary doses + one booster.

Infants will usually get their first dose of Hib vaccine at two months of age and will typically complete the series at twelve to fifteen months of age. But the initial primary dose may be given as early as six months of age.
 
In the UK, Hib containing vaccine is offered at two, three and four months of age with a booster dose at one year.
 
You can find out about your own country’s immunisation programme at the WHO Immunization Data Portal.
 
The WHO don’t recommend Hib vaccines for children older than five years of age. However, certain health conditions can put you at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from a Hib infection. These include:

• Having no spleen, or a spleen that doesn’t work properly.
• Having an immunodeficiency, such as a complement system disorder.

Speak to your healthcare provider to find out if you’re eligible for a Hib vaccination because of a health condition.

Are Hib vaccines safe?

Yes, the Hib vaccine is safe. Millions of doses given to children worldwide have established an excellent safety record for the vaccine.

Tenderness or pain at the injection site is often a side effect of the Hib vaccine. But these symptoms are usually mild and go away on their own within a few days.

Serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction, are very rare and are no more common than for other vaccines routinely given to babies and children.

The vaccine doesn’t contain live bacteria, so there’s no risk of it causing illness.

Why is it important to take up Hib vaccines?

Hib bacteria can cause a range of illnesses. This includes mild conditions such as ear infections, as well as severe illness (also called ‘invasive Hib disease’) such as meningitis and sepsis. These infections can lead to long-term complications such as blindness, deafness, learning disabilities and sometimes death. Around 30% of survivors of Hib meningitis will be left with long-term complications and disability. 10-15% of survivors will experience severe neurologic effects.⁹

Hib vaccines offer the best protection against serious Hib infections, preventing millions of  disabilities and saving over 2.8 million lives since their routine introduction.¹⁰

Currently, 77% of children have had three doses of the vaccine, which is below the WHO’s 90% target. High vaccine coverage is essential to reduce the spread of the bacteria and protect the wider population through ‘herd protection.'

For many years, antibiotics have been used to treat Hib disease, including Hib meningitis. But the bacteria are finding new ways to resist antibiotics. This is known as antimicrobial resistance. It’s a growing challenge. In Europe and the US, 20-30% of Hib bacteria were found to be resistant to the antibiotic ampicillin.¹¹ Resistant strains have now spread to all regions of the world. Vaccination is the only effective means of preventing Hib disease. It’s becoming increasingly important as Hib antimicrobial resistance grows.

Author: Meningitis Research Foundation.
Reviewed by: Dianne Spalding, Meningitis Research Foundation Ambassador.
Published: 7 April 2025.