Child Died of Preventable Meningitis

Five Minnesota children got sick last year from Haemophilus influenzae bacteria, U.S. health officials report. One died of meningitis caused by the germs. This was a much higher number of cases than usual. Only 20 cases a year occur in U.S. children under age 5. Use of the Hib vaccine has dramatically reduced such illnesses. In the Minnesota cases, three of the children had not received Hib shots. Their parents had decided to refuse or put off the shots. One child had shots, but did not get a booster dose because of a vaccine shortage that year. One had received the recommended shots. The Associated Press wrote about the outbreak January 23.