Vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae

More than a century ago, it was believed that influenza develops when Haemophilus influenzae (Pfeiffer’s bacillus) enters the human body. Today, however, it has been established that hemophilic infection is something else. According to modern research, hemophilic infection causes the development of diseases of the brain, joints and lungs in the human body. The worst thing is that hemophilic infection is especially dangerous for young children under the age of 1-5 years. To prevent the occurrence of severe diseases caused by Pfeiffer’s bacillus, it is recommended to vaccinate against Haemophilus influenzae in young children.

Diseases caused by Haemophilus influenzae

In the genus “hemophilus” there are more than 16 varieties of bacteria, each of which is capable of causing specific diseases. Haemophilus influenzae b-type is considered the most dangerous, which causes the most severe changes in the human body, and the modern vaccine is aimed at combating it.

Under the hemophilic infection, doctors understand a number of severe pathologies that are caused by a single pathogen – Haemophilus influenzae. Haemophilus influenzae can be found on the mucous membranes of 100% of healthy people; this is its natural habitat in wildlife. Anyone can be an asymptomatic carrier who does not get sick, but spreads the infection. The main risk group for the occurrence of such infections, which often end in complications, is the age group of children from six months to 4-5 years. This is due to the weak protective functions of young children, compared with adults, a huge burden on the child’s body at an early age due to active bacterial reproduction for the formation of natural flora and adaptation to the outside world, frequent meetings of a small child with pathogens that are still unknown to his body.

Such conditions lead the body of a fragile child to loads, in the light of which contact with the causative agent of hemophilic infection often develops into serious illness. To avoid such difficulties, it is necessary to vaccinate the newborn, which will help protect the body from various complications characteristic of hemophilic infection.

Among the main diseases that arise as a result of a provocation in the body of a child with a hemophilic infection, doctors distinguish the following severe pathologies:

• inflammatory processes in the membranes of the brain or spinal cord (purulent meningitis);
• inflammatory processes in the human lungs (pneumonia, pleurisy);
• purulent inflammation in the middle ear (otitis media);
• purulent arthritis and other severe pathologies of the joints;
• blood poisoning (septicemia);
• purulent diseases localized in the upper respiratory tract and internal organs (in the heart, maxillary sinuses);
• inflammatory processes in the subcutaneous tissue (cellulite).

Most often, a consequence of hemophilic infection is otitis media, pneumonia or meningitis. These diseases are most common in children from 6 months to 5 years old, and when they are detected, doctors talk about disappointing statistics – more than 5% of all patients at this age die. However, this fact can be easily corrected by simply ensuring that your child is vaccinated against Haemophilus influenzae in a timely manner.

The effectiveness of vaccinations against hemophilic infection was proven by scientists back in the forties of the last century, but it became mandatory in America and the EU countries only in the 90s of the 20th century. In our country, vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae has been approved only since 2011. The schedule of its implementation completely coincides with the schedules of other age-related vaccinations.

Indications and vaccination schedule

Among the main indications for vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae are the following criteria:

• age from 3 months;
• the beginning of visits to preschool institutions;
• the presence in the body of any immunodeficiency (HIV infection, oncological diseases), as well as the postoperative period when the spleen is removed;
• elderly age;
• living in a large group of children – an orphanage, a large family.

In the first year of life, absolutely all children must be vaccinated against Haemophilus influenzae. For adults, such a vaccine can be administered at will if there are factors that contribute to the development of hemophilic infection in an adult organism.

Based on the age when a person is vaccinated, a vaccination schedule against Pfeiffer’s bacillus is also built. Vaccination preparations necessarily contain a capsular polysaccharide of the shell of Haemophilus influenzae, which is enhanced by tetanus toxoid. Such a lyophilisate (i.e., the complete composition listed above) is a white or white-gray dry substance that requires dissolution in a liquid medium. The vaccine is administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

Doctors recommend the first vaccination at the age of three months, repeated at 4,5, and the third at 6 months. Such a triple vaccination protects the fragile human body in 95% of cases. After the last vaccination at the age of 18 months (revaccination), the body’s protection against Haemophilus influenzae grows to 100%.

If at 3 months the child was not vaccinated, then the scheme for administering the vaccine is somewhat modified. So, the first vaccination must necessarily occur after the age of 6 months, and the second – exactly 30 days after the first. Revaccination will need to be done in this case 12 months after the second vaccination.

If a child has not been vaccinated against a hemophilic infection before the age of one, then its vaccination occurs in one stage. As a rule, before this age, babies are already faced with a hemophilic infection and their body produces antibodies to the disease on its own, so in this case, medicine is simply trying to help. With a single injection of the vaccine, an active immune defense of the human body is produced, and when faced with such an infection, the disease will proceed easily and without serious complications.

An adult must first test for the presence of antibodies to hemophilic infection, and only then set the schedule and the number of necessary uses of the drug.

Side effects and reactions to vaccination

All analogues of vaccines against hemophilic infection have approximately the same characteristics, so in this case it is not very important which vaccine the child will be given. As a rule, there are no reactions to it or they are very weak. With proper and complete immunization, antibodies against Haemophilus influenzae are produced for the next 4 years of a person’s life and protect him at the most acute moments of an infection.

Rarely, after vaccinating a child against this disease, infiltration, redness at the injection sites can be detected. Such reactions in most cases do not indicate the body’s reaction to the vaccine, but the introduction of an infection during the injection. Also, after the injection, the child’s body temperature may slightly increase, he may feel weak, lethargic, sleep disturbances and loss of appetite.

After vaccination against a hemophilic infection, only one type of side effect can occur – this is a small rash, as with urticaria (urticaria), localized at the injection site (less often, spreading throughout the child’s body). This is an allergic reaction to the drug.

However, all of the above reactions and side effects apply only to single-component vaccines. With the introduction of a multicomponent drug that simultaneously protects a person from whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, the reactions can be more pronounced and strong. This is due to the reactive ability of the body to respond to the introduction of components aimed at developing immunity. The most common are convulsions, high fever, swelling of the legs, pain at the injection sites, neuritis (where vaccination was performed), the occurrence of bronchitis, nausea and vomiting, and skin itching.

After the introduction of any multicomponent vaccine and the occurrence of side effects, desensitization of the body is necessary. Symptomatic therapy is carried out. High temperature is recommended to be reduced with antipyretics suitable for the child in terms of effectiveness and form of administration, redness on the limbs is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, allergic manifestations – with antihistamines. In cases of severe reactions, for example, if Quincke’s edema occurs, it is imperative to consult a doctor.

To avoid the occurrence of complications after vaccination, it is recommended to get a check-up with a doctor. A couple of weeks before the proposed vaccination, contacts with potentially sick people of any kind of infections should be limited (limit stay in groups). Do not allow your child to try new foods shortly before the day of vaccination, because in this case, no one will be able to say for sure what caused the side effect, vaccine or product.

Vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae is generally very well tolerated by the body at any age. However, after it is carried out, you should remain under the supervision of doctors for about 30 minutes to avoid the occurrence of severe allergic reactions. Also, the child is contraindicated in contact with potentially infected people, long bath procedures (better shower than bath) and new foods in the diet.

In rare cases, vaccination against Pfeiffer’s sticks is not carried out. This happens if the child has reached the age of five (with the exception of a person entering the risk group for this infection), has not yet reached the age of 3 months if there is evidence of an allergy to the components of the vaccine. Also, vaccination is postponed in the event of an acute respiratory disease until the moment of complete recovery and restoration of immunity.

Varieties of modern vaccines

To date, the drug market has a number of highly effective vaccines that help protect the body from Haemophilus influenzae infection.

The French Akt-Hib vaccine is a one-component, well-tolerated and, importantly, perfectly compatible with other vaccines. This vaccine rarely gives reactions, mostly they are all based on allergies due to the composition of the drug.

Another French vaccine, Pentaxim, is already a multi-component one, simultaneously protecting the children’s body from such terrible infectious diseases as whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis and diphtheria. This advantage of the vaccine determines its high price, but manufacturers keep the quality of the drug at the highest level.

The Belgian one-component vaccine against hemophilic infection “Hiberix” allows you to vaccinate a child at the age of 6 weeks. Such early inoculation is very necessary for artificially fed children.

But another Belgian multicomponent vaccine – Infanrix Hexa – helps in protecting the human body from all the same infections as Pentaxim, but additionally also fights hepatitis B.

The cost of such a drug is high, but the mechanism of action and effectiveness are at the proper level.

Vaccination aimed at combating hemophilic infection is mandatory for all young children, since it helps to protect a fragile body from such serious diseases as meningitis, pneumonia and others with almost 100% probability.

Sources of