Meningitis is an infection of the membrane which covers the brain and the spinal cord, and can be caused by infection with bacteria and viruses. There are several types of meningitis of which Hib meningitis is one, and I will discuss each of them in successive articles, published at approximately two weekly intervals.
Hib meningitis the form of meningitis caused by the haemophilus influenzae type B bacterium. This form of meningitis is particularly dangerous to children, and was the form which caused most deaths to under fives from meningitis, particularly those between the ages of 3 to 36 months. Due to the Hib vaccine it is now very rare in developed countries, though has not yet been eradicated. The vaccine is very effective and Hib meningitis is no longer a significant risk in those countries that have included the vaccination as part of its childhood vaccination program.
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Hib Has No Rash
Unlike other forms of meningitis, the Hib bacterium does not cause a rash, but it does display the other symptoms associated with meningitis such as high temperature, sore throat and headache, sensitivity to light and several other symptoms, some of which are evident only to the mother. These, and other symptoms, are discussed in more detail on my website and blog. Due to modern medicine, 95% of cases with Hib meningitis recover, though up to 12% of these are left with long term problems such as deafness, brain damage and epilepsy.
The bacteria live for a short while in the throat and the back of the nose, and are transmitted by contact with aerosol emissions from the throat, such as coughing or sneezing, and other contact with throat fluids. They cannot live outside the body and are not associated with animals other than humans. Hib carriers do not necessarily become ill; in fact the majority do not, so it is not sufficient to stay away from known infections as with most other childhood diseases. It was quite common for the bacteria to be carried by healthy children, though this is now rare due to the almost universal adoption of the Hib vaccine in the developed world.
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The Hib Vaccine Was Difficult To Develop
So, how about the vaccine? The Hib vaccine is what is known as a conjugate vaccine, which means that it is made by combining a small part of the bacteria with a protein. Initial attempts to produce a vaccine were foiled by the physiology of the bacterium. The part which was required to stimulate the human immune system to produce antibodies is a sugar on the surface which is not easily taken up in the body, and after much experimentation with mice a way was found to couple this sugar with a protein which enabled it to be easily absorbed by the human body.
The vaccine is very effective and very safe, and since its initial testing in the mid 1990s and introduction into national vaccination programs, the incidence of Hib meningitis has decreased dramatically by around 90% saving the lives of countless young children. It is now part of the vaccination schedule of most developed countries, though there is a significant difference between those of the USA and the UK which is worthy of investigation.
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Why Do American Children Fece The Needle More Often?
Full details of the American and British childhood vaccination programs are provided on my childhood diseases website, though these differences should be discussed. American children who are afraid of needles are at a decided disadvantage compared to their British counterparts.
By the time an American child reaches the age of two years old, he or she will have been subjected to up to twenty different vaccinations. A child can receive up to five shots during one visit to a doctor, and this is due to the American practice of dispensing one shot per vaccine.
In the UK, however, the same child will have had only ten shots due to the British practice of using multiple vaccines per vaccination. There has never been any indication that a multiple vaccination has done harm to any child. OK, there was the MMR scare regarding autism, but this was bit of nonsense based on financial interests which has since been proved to be without foundation. After all, if the measles part of the combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella caused autism, the same would be true of the individual measles vaccine.
So why does the USA administer only individual vaccines? My only conclusion can be money. In the USA the vaccination industry is big money to the pharmaceutical companies and they are dealing with individual hospitals and doctors. In the UK, on the other hand, the National Health Service is a free service to UK nationals and most visitors, so the government is looking for minimum cost. The UK system requires vaccinations to be as cost effective as possible, while this is not the case in the USA. Is the British system less effective: statistics say not.
This is my conclusion, and I have no evidence other than simple deduction to lead me to it. Naturally, if there are other reasons, my email address is on my website. You can make your own deductions, but in the final analysis, the Hib vaccine works and has saved many lives.
The other main difference is that the manufacturer of the vaccine is an important factor in the USA whether a child gets the 6 monthly vaccination or not. British children are vaccinated at 2, 3 and 4 months with a booster shortly after the first birthday. The USA vaccinates against Hib C meningitis at 2, 4 and 6 months. However, in America, three conjugate vaccines are licensed for use with infants, and if PRP-OMP (PedvaxHIB® or ComVax® [Merck]) are used the 6 monthly vaccination is not required.
Irrespective of international variations in the ages that it is administered, The Hib vaccine has without a doubt literally decimated the incidence of Hib meningitis in those countries that have routinely adopted the Hib conjugate vaccine.
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Meningococcal Meningitis – Who Is Right?
The next article in this series on meningitis will have a look at meningococcal meningitis, and again point out the difference between the British and American vaccination schedule with respect to Men C. There are significant differences in the proportion of the relevant populations vaccinated, and the reasons for this will be investigated and compared to what happens in the rest of the world.
Peter Nisbet's website on Childhood Diseases was initiated when his son contracted meningitis and encephailits. He studies children's illnesses after feeling helpless to be of use to his son. His alternative website deals with general health issues.
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