Progress toward elimination of Haemophilus influenzae type b invasive disease among infants and children--United States, 1998-2000

Abstract

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis and a major cause of other serious invasive diseases among children aged <5 years in the United States before Hib conjugate vaccines became available in 1988. In 1991, all infants starting at age 2 months were recommended to receive Hib conjugate vaccines; by 1996, incidence of Hib invasive disease (i.e., illness clinically compatible with invasive disease, such as meningitis or sepsis, with isolation of the bacterium from a normally sterile site) among children aged <5 years had declined by >99%. This report presents 1998-2000 Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) surveillance data, which indicate that the incidence of reported Hib invasive disease remains low. Achieving the national health objective for 2010 of reducing to zero indigenous Hib invasive disease cases in children aged <5 years will require improved age-appropriate vaccination of children, complete reporting of vaccination and relevant medical histories, standardization of the serotyping procedure, and complete ascertainment and reporting of serotype for all Hi invasive disease cases.