Invasive H. influenzae Infection in Children in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Health reported five unrelated cases of serious Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) infection in children younger than 5 years in 2008: three cases of meningitis, one case of pneumonia with bacteremia, and one case of epiglottitis. One child with meningitis died. This is the highest annual number of cases reported in children younger than 5 years in Minnesota since 1992. Three children had not received any doses of Hib vaccine because of parental refusal. The other two children had received two doses of Hib vaccine, but one child was too young (5 months) to have completed the primary series, and the other child was diagnosed with an immunodeficiency (hypogammaglobulinemia). To date, no increases in Hib cases have…