Hib disease, an infection caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), which mainly affects children in the first 5 years of life. It is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis, as well as childhood bacterial pneumonia, joint or bone infections, and throat inflammations. More than two thirds of the U.S. cases of Hib disease have been attributed to exposure in day care centers. It is fatal in about 5% of infections. The infection can generally be prevented with a vaccine, given in infancy, usually at 2, 4, and 6 months of age and at 12 to 15 months of age.
