How Does One Catch It?
The Hib infection is highly contagious. It is transmitted from one person to the next by air or direct contact. When one person with the Hib infection coughs or sneezes, the germ is sprayed into the air and another person in close proximity can inhale the bacteria into the body. Surface contamination by the secretions of a sick person can also serve as a way for this infection to spread. Children living in the same household are especially likely to pass the infection around, but it can be transmitted in the school setting as well.
Fact
The Hib infection is so contagious that if more than one child is diagnosed with the infection, the entire school — including all the students, the teachers, and staff members — needs to take antibiotics so that a massive outbreak will not start.
When patients are hospitalized with the Hib infection, they are not permitted to venture out of their hospital room to protect other patients and health-care workers from this infection. A strict quarantine is necessary to prevent infecting the entire hospital with this dangerous germ.
There is no way to protect your child from the Hib infection 100 percent of the time. Your child is especially at risk for catching this infection if she goes to school or daycare. Breast-feeding exclusively for the first year can confer significant protection against this infection. If you are unable to breast-feed exclusively for at least twelve months, your child should definitely get vaccinated against the Hib bacterium.
