haemophilus B and meningococcal conjugate vaccine

What is the most important information I should know about this vaccine?

What is haemophilus B and meningococcal conjugate vaccine?

Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) is a bacteria that can cause serious illness, including breathing problems or meningitis. Hib infection usually affects children and can be fatal.

Meningococcal disease is a serious infection caused by a bacteria. Meningococcal bacteria can infect the blood, spinal cord, and brain, and can cause meningitis. These conditions can be fatal.

Haemophilus B and meningococcal disease can spread from one person to another through small droplets of saliva that are expelled into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The bacteria can also be passed through contact with objects the infected person has touched, such as a door handle, or other surface. The bacteria can also be passed through kissing, or sharing a drinking glass or eating utensil with an infected person.

The haemophilus B and meningococcal conjugate vaccine is used to help prevent these diseases in children.

This vaccine works by exposing your child to a small dose of bacteria or a protein from the bacteria, which causes your body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

Like any vaccine, haemophilus B and meningococcal conjugate vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving this vaccine?

If your child has any of these other conditions, this vaccine may need to be postponed or not given at all:

• Guillain-Barré syndrome (within 6 weeks after receiving a vaccine that contains tetanus);
• a weak immune system caused by disease (such as cancer, HIV, or AIDS), or by taking certain medicines such as steroids; or
• if the child was born prematurely.

How is this vaccine given?

This vaccine is given as an injection (shot) into a muscle. Your child will receive this injection in a doctor's office or other clinic setting.

This vaccine is given in a series of 4 shots. The first shot is usually given when the child is between 6 and 8 weeks old. The booster shots are then given at 4 months, 6 months, and 12 to 15 months of age. The last booster may be given as late as 18 months of age.

Your child's booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor's instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department.

Your child can still receive a vaccine if he or she has a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until the child gets better before receiving this vaccine.

Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor's instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.

It is especially important to prevent fever from occurring in a child who has a seizure disorder such as epilepsy.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Be sure your child receives all recommended doses of this vaccine. Your child may not be fully protected if he or she does not receive the full series.

What happens if I overdose?

An overdose of this vaccine is not likely to occur.

What should I avoid while taking this vaccine?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

What are the possible side effects of this vaccine?

Becoming infected with haemophilus B or meningococcal disease is much more dangerous to your child's health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

• severe weakness, trouble breathing;
• extreme drowsiness, fainting;
• fussiness, irritability, crying for an hour or longer;
• seizure (convulsions); or
• high fever (within a few hours or a few days after the vaccine).

Common side effects may include:

• redness, pain, or swelling where the shot was given;
• low fever;
• mild fussiness or crying;
• loss of appetite; or
• drowsiness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

What other drugs will affect this vaccine?

Also tell the doctor if your child has recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

• an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine;
• medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders, such as azathioprine (Imuran), etanercept (Enbrel), leflunomide (Arava), and others; or
• medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection, such as basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf), muromonab CD3 (Orthoclone), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf).

If your child is using any of these medications, he or she may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with this vaccine. Tell your doctor about all medications your child receives. This includes prescription, over the counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about this vaccine. Additional information is available from your local health department or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.