On Feb. 28, 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) recommendations for prevention and control of ﾠHaemophilus influenzae ﾠtype b (Hib)ﾠ disease that included  a routine vaccination with a licensed conjugate Hib vaccine for infants aged 2 through 6 months (2 or 3 doses, depending on vaccine product) with a booster dose at age 12 through 15 months.

ACIP also recommended vaccination for certain persons at increased risk for Hib disease (i.e., persons who have early component complement deficiencies, immunoglobulin deficiency, anatomic or functional asplenia, or HIV infection; recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplant; and recipients of chemotherapy or radiation therapy for malignant neoplasms).

Before 1985, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis and a common cause of other invasive diseases (e.g., epiglottitis, pneumonia, septic arthritis, cellulitis, purulent pericarditis, and bacteremia) among U.S. children aged <5 years. Meningitis occurred in approximately two thirds of children with invasive Hib disease; 15%–30% of survivors had hearing impairment or severe permanent neurologic sequelae. Approximately 4% of all cases were fatal.