Until the late 1990s, the main cause of meningitis in children was Haemophilus influenzae type B ( HiB ). For this reason, the anti-HiB vaccine was the first to be included in the national vaccination calendars.
The vaccine against this form of meningitis is inactivated (consisting of a portion of the bacterium capsule) and conjugated (ie bound to a protein to make it more effective).
In Italy, it is administered with a single puncture intramuscularly, as it is included in the hexavalent vaccination (as it contains 6 vaccines that confer protection against: Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis, Poliomyelitis, Hepatitis B and, precisely, HiB) provided for all children within the first months of age. However, the monovalent vaccine is also available. The vaccination cycle consists of three doses to be practiced within the first year of life, at the 3rd, 5th and 11th month.
