Friend's child hospitalized with Hib meningitis

[mangosink0]

A sibling of a schoolmate is in the hospital with HIB meningitis. (Not sure what type it is, if it is B or "non-typeable). I just was concerned that my 4 yr old DD hasn't had all the vaxs for that, and we have a well check tomorrow, so I wondered if I should get her a dose of Hib. I had not planned on getting any more doses of it. She has had 3 doses in her first year of life, but we didn't get the booster. I should mention that the hospitalized child had 3 doses as well. He probably has non-typeable Hib, but I don't know for sure. Just scary, the poor little guy is very sick.

[heathergirl67]

Poor boy! Did your daughter react well to her previous doses? Would it put your mind at ease more if she had the booster? What does her doctor think? That's an awful situation, and I'm so sorry for your friend and her little boy.

[japonica]

That's awful. I hope the little guy recovers quickly.

It's worthwhile finding out what type of haemophilus influenzae it is. The other strains and non-typeable cannot be prevented by a vaccine, so getting her a Hib booster won't provide her with any protection against what her schoolmate has if it's not Hib.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

A sibling of a schoolmate is in the hospital with HIB meningitis. (Not sure what type it is, if it is B or "non-typeable). I just was concerned that my 4 yr old DD hasn't had all the vaxs for that, and we have a well check tomorrow, so I wondered if I should get her a dose of Hib. I had not planned on getting any more doses of it. She has had 3 doses in her first year of life, but we didn't get the booster. I should mention that the hospitalized child had 3 doses as well. He probably has non-typeable Hib, but I don't know for sure. Just scary, the poor little guy is very sick.

That is very sad and I hope he will be OK.

So they don't know that it is HIB correct? Could be any strain A-F or non typeable I suppose. Is there any specific reason you skipped the booster dose of HIB? Being that you really don't know what type of HI this boy has, I don't know that rushing out to get a boooster is the best move (assuming you didn't do the booster for a specific reason). If you just never got around to it, than I suppose you could get the booster now. Why not ask you pediatrician what he/she thinks?

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by Marnica

That is very sad and I hope he will be OK.

So they don't know that it is HIB correct? Could be any strain A-F or non typeable I suppose. Is there any specific reason you skipped the booster dose of HIB? Being that you really don't know what type of HI this boy has, I don't know that rushing out to get a boooster is the best move (assuming you didn't do the booster for a specific reason). If you just never got around to it, than I suppose you could get the booster now. Why not ask you pediatrician what he/she thinks?

They do know it's Hib, just don't know what type.

[japonica]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

They do know it's Hib, just don't know what type.

Well, Hib would be haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib=haemophilus influenzae type B). So, if it is Hib, then it's type B. There's also haemophilus influenzae types A-F (Hia-Hif) and non-typeable.

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by japonica

Well, Hib would be haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib=haemophilus influenzae type B). So, if it is Hib, then it's type B. There's also haemophilus influenzae types A-F (Hia-Hif) and non-typeable.

So sorry, got carried away with using the abbreviation. They know it's Haemophilus Influenzae, they don't know the type. The doc said it very well may be non-typeable.

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by Marnica

Is there any specific reason you skipped the booster dose of HIB?

I just thought that invasive Hib was so rare, and at 18 months you are past the most high risk period for getting it. Those are the reasons why I didn't get the booster. We vax but selective and delayed and I try to minimize the number of doses when I feel the benefit/risk ratio isn't great enough. My gut feeling is to not get the booster now. Just a bit anxious with this situation I think. Poor sweet boy is still very sick.

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

The doc said it very well may be non-typeable.

Most likely, this IS the case, and it's not type b simply based on the history of that strain with the vaccine, it's just not really around.

Glad you made a decision!

[PCARN]

Titer Level

I will say a prayer that he recovers fully and quickly. How old is he? If you don't mind me asking, what state are you from?

Why don't you ask the pediatrician to check her titer level before making a decision whether or not to give it? I am in the same situation as you (I recently posted a question regarding the HIB booster). My little one has received three doses of the HIB vaccine so far and is due for the booster. I also selectively/delay vaccinations (my baby had a reaction at two months which they feel was due to Dtap in the Pentacel vaccine). I too am contemplating whether or not to give the booster and when (before or after our trip).

Are you familiar with Dr. Sears? His Vaccine Book is an excellent resource.

Good luck making a decision. I know it isn't an easy one to make.

[13Sandals]

you also want to keep in mind that anyone can carry HiB harmlessly. Its when the immune system allows it to become invasive that its dangerous. If you think your child has been exposed, supporting the immune system is the most important thing you can do for your child.

[2boyzmama]

My son had a systemic Hi infection, but it was found to be non-typeable (much to the chagrin of some of the drs who were convinced that he was sick because I hadn't vaccinated him) I did a lot of research into Hi at the time. It is extremely unlikely in this case that the child has HiB (B strain) because:

1. he is partially vaccinated (this vaccine has a high effective rate)

2. B strain does not circulate as much as it used to (and I do credit the vaccine for the decline) and

3. even before the vaccine it was rare for B strain to cause a systemic infection in that age group (it happened, but not commonly)

So I would not give a booster *just because this child is sick* If you were considering a booster for other reasons, then maybe. I do think that the vaccine is rather effective, and seems to have one of the better safety records. My concern with this vaccine is one of principle, the serotype replacement issue is real and I don't believe is being addressed adequately (or at all, really!)

My son recovered, although did require surgery (his became mastoiditis, and was also in his sinuses and one eye), and he was on a PICC line on a pump for 4 weeks. And he has had 6 Hi Non-Typeable infections since then that we have been able to successfully treat. (he has Primary Immune Deficiency, that's why he's so susceptible) I hope and pray that this little boy recovers as well!!

[amnesiac]

Please remember that we do not permit discussions about specific individuals so any such posts will be removed. Please remain focused on the vaccine issue in this thread.