Vaccine Choice Canada Haemophilus Influenza - Disease & Vaccine Information

Haemophilus Influenza

There are several strains of Haemophilus Influenza. Haemophilus Influenza b is an extremely rare mutant strain of the normal flora that lives in the nose and throat. Most cases of Haemophilus Influenza colonization do not cause disease. Prior to the introduction of the Hib vaccine, most children acquired natural immunity by the time they were 6 years old. Hib can be a serious bacterial disease in some individuals and can cause middle ear infections, respiratory infections, and meningitis. Hib must enter into the bloodstream for it to cause meningitis or other forms of invasive disease.

The Vaccine

A vaccine targeting the type b strain of the bacterium was recommended for infants in 1991 as this strain was thought to be the most common cause of bacterial meningitis.
While the vaccine has almost eliminated the type b strain, vaccination causes strain replacement such that strains not covered by the vaccine have increased substantially.
Some of these strains are more virulent and more resistant to antibiotics, causing severe disease in the pediatric and adult populations. [22]
The currently recommended schedule for the Hib vaccine is at 2, 4, 6 and 12 – 15 months.
The Hib vaccine is primarily given in combination with tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (DTaP) and polio (IPV) and some manufacturers include hepatitis B (HB).

Considerations for the Vaccine Decision

The transmission of Hib is usually limited to those in close contact such as household members.
A breastfed baby is at low risk of catching Hib due to maternal antibodies passed during pregnancy and lactation. Infants not attending day care are also at low risk.
After the introduction of a national program to vaccinate children against Hib, the overall number of invasive Haemophilus Influenza infections in adults increased.
Vaccine manufacturers are not required to demonstrate that the vaccine prevents infection or transmission as a condition of licensure.
The Hib vaccine, when given in a combination vaccine, contains aluminum, a known neurotoxin.
As of May 31, 2023, there have been more than 91,171 reports of vaccine reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following Hib vaccinations made to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, including 2,890 related deaths. Of these Hib-vaccine related deaths, 2,154 occurred in infants under the age of 6 months. [23]
A US HHS study acknowledged that less than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported. [24]
The safety of the Hib vaccine has not been proven against a true placebo.
Richard Moskovitz states the Hib vaccine seeks to alter the microbiome and suggests it makes better sense to take care of our normal flora than to kill the microbiome in everyone to prevent an illness that the vast majority will never experience. [25]