Uitblijven van meningitis door Haemophilus influenzae type b in Nederland na tweevoudige vaccinatie

OBJECTIVE: To determine the two-year results of nationwide vaccination with Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine on the occurrence of Hib meningitis in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Retrospective controlled study. SETTING: The Netherlands. METHOD: Children born since April 1, 1993 are vaccinated at the age of 3, 4, 5 and 11 months to protect them from infections with Hib. The number of Hib meningitis patients in the period 1 April, 1993 to 1 April, 1995, among infants born in this period who were offered the Hib vaccine (study group), was compared with the number of Hib meningitis patients in the period 1 April, 1991 to 1 April, 1993 among children born in last-mentioned period (control group). RESULTS: Twenty-one cases of meningitis by Hib were observed in the study group. Twelve children who, as a consequence of their age, had only been vaccinated once or not at all; 7 children were not vaccinated for several reasons. In addition one patient was infected by H. influenzae type f strain and one by a non-typable strain. In the control group 185 cases of Hib meningitis occurred. CONCLUSION: Hib meningitis was not observed among infants who had been vaccinated at least twice