Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib)
Position paper
Wherever thorough studies have been performed, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) has been shown to be an important cause of childhood meningitis and a major cause of bacterial pneumonia in children. Although little population-based incidence data are available from most of Asia and the Newly Independent States, Hib is estimated to cause at least 3 million cases of serious disease and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, worldwide. The most important manifestations of Hib disease, namely pneumonia and meningitis, are seen mainly in children under 5 years of age, particularly infants.