MenHibrix vaccine is used to help prevent haemophilus B and meningococcal disease in children.

Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) is a bacteria that can cause serious illness, including breathing problems or meningitis. Hib infection usually affects children and can be fatal.

Meningococcal disease is a serious infection caused by a bacteria. Meningococcal bacteria can infect the blood, spinal cord, and brain, and can cause meningitis. These conditions can be fatal.

Haemophilus B and meningococcal disease can spread from one person to another through small droplets of saliva that are expelled into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The bacteria can also be passed through contact with objects the infected person has touched, such as a door handle, or other surface. The bacteria can also be passed through kissing, or sharing a drinking glass or eating utensil with an infected person.

MenHibrix works by exposing your child to a small dose of bacteria or a protein from the bacteria, which causes your body to develop immunity to the disease. MenHibrix will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

MenHibrix is for use in children between the ages of 6 weeks and 18 months old.

Like any vaccine, MenHibrix may not provide protection from disease in every person.

Your child should not receive MenHibrix if he or she has ever had a life threatening allergic reaction to any meningococcal, haemophilus B, or tetanus vaccine.

Before your child receives MenHibrix, tell your doctor if the child has a weak immune system, if the child was born prematurely, or if the child has ever had Guillain-Barré syndrome within 6 weeks after receiving a vaccine that contains tetanus.

Your child can still receive a vaccine if he or she has a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until the child gets better before receiving MenHibrix.

Your child should not receive a booster vaccine if he or she had a life threatening allergic reaction after the first shot. Keep track of any and all side effects your child has after receiving MenHibrix. When the child receives a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shot caused any side effects.

Be sure your child receives all recommended doses of MenHibrix. Your child may not be fully protected against disease if he or she does not receive the full series.

Becoming infected with haemophilus B influenzae or meningitis is much more dangerous to your child's health than receiving MenHibrix. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

MenHibrix is given as an injection (shot) into a muscle. Your child will receive this injection in a doctor's office or other clinic setting.

MenHibrix is given in a series of 4 shots. The first shot is usually given when the child is between 6 and 8 weeks old. The booster shots are then given at 4 months, 6 months, and 12 to 15 months of age. The last booster may be given as late as 18 months of age.

Your child's booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor's instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department.

Your child can still receive MenHibrix vaccine if he or she has a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until the child gets better before receiving MenHibrix.

Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor's instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.

It is especially important to prevent fever from occurring in a child who has a seizure disorder such as epilepsy.

Your child should not receive MenHibrix if he or she has ever had a life threatening allergic reaction to any meningococcal, haemophilus B, or tetanus vaccine.

If your child has any of these other conditions, MenHibrix may need to be postponed or not given at all:

• Guillain-Barré syndrome (within 6 weeks after receiving a vaccine that contains tetanus);

• a weak immune system caused by disease (such as cancer, HIV, or AIDS), or by taking certain medicines such as steroids; or

• if the child was born prematurely.

MenHibrix should not be given to a child younger than 6 weeks or older than 18 months.

Contact your doctor if you miss a booster dose or if you get behind schedule. The next dose should be given as soon as possible. There is no need to start over.

Be sure your child receives all recommended doses of MenHibrix. Your child may not be fully protected if he or she does not receive the full series.

An overdose of MenHibrix is not likely to occur.

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

Your child should not receive a booster vaccine if he or she had a life threatening allergic reaction after the first shot. Keep track of any and all side effects your child has after receiving MenHibrix. When the child receives a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shot caused any side effects.

Becoming infected with haemophilus B or meningitis is much more dangerous to your child's health than receiving MenHibrix. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

Get emergency medical help if your child has any signs of an allergic reaction to MenHibrix: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if the child has a serious side effect such as:

• severe weakness, trouble breathing;

• extreme drowsiness, fainting;

• fussiness, irritability, crying for an hour or longer;

• seizure (convulsions); or

• high fever (within a few hours or a few days after the vaccine).

Common MenHibrix side effects may include:

• redness, pain, or swelling where the shot was given;

• low fever;

• mild fussiness or crying;

• loss of appetite; or

• drowsiness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

Before your child receives MenHibrix, tell the doctor about all other vaccines your child has recently received.

Also tell the doctor if your child has recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

• an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine;

• medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders, such as azathioprine (Imuran), etanercept (Enbrel), leflunomide (Arava), and others; or

• medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection, such as basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf), muromonab CD3 (Orthoclone), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf).

If your child is using any of these medications, he or she may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with MenHibrix. Tell your doctor about all medications your child receives. This includes prescription, over the counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.