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Haemophilus Influenzae Vaccine History

Although not as common now as it once was, bacterial meningitis is a particularly nasty disease, causing inflammation in the meninges of the spine via infection of the cerebrospinal flu. If left untreated, the virus, known as Haemophilus influenzae type b ("Hib" for short ) can cause brain damage and be potentially fatal. The virus's primary target is children of all ages and particularly those in countries with limited access to health care. Thanks to some dedicated research, a potent vaccine exists.

  1. The Need for a Vaccine

    • Bacterial meningitis claimed the lives of several children, leading researcher Oswald Avery to study the pneumococcus bacterium 1920s. Although that virus wasn't the primary culprit behind meningitis, Avery found that the body's immune system had a rather high success rate at battling the virus due to the presence of a polysaccharide outer casing that surrounds the microorganism.

    Understanding Hib

    • Around that time, Margaret Pittman classified the six types of the Haemophilus influenzae virus, finding that type b held the most damaging potential and that children were highly susceptible to its infection. Other doctors built on her discoveries, and in 1933, they found that bacterial meningitis was caused by Hib, but only affected children under 5 years of age. Older kids had a natural immunity to the Hib virus, so the researchers set out finding how to manufacture a vaccine.

    Beginning the Vaccine

    • Most infections were treated with simple antibiotics during the 1950s, and bacterial meningitis was no different. Until that time, the meningitis infection was particularly fatal, but doctors found that quick treatment with the antibiotics yielded impressive results. Still, researchers figured the best way to combat Hib infection was to eliminate the virus in the body before the infection could manifest. This finally happened in 1969, when a team of those researchers came up with the initial version of the vaccine.

    Trials & Tribulations

    • The team's vaccination found quite a bit of success in the beginning stages, as the formula essentially forced the body to produce the natural antibodies. Although it was safe, and did indeed work as predicted (especially in older children), toddlers and babies still remained at risk. By 1982, a newer "conjugated" version of the vaccine came to be, meaning the scientists bound proteins to the polysaccharide to increase its effectiveness. Results improved, but not in the numbers the researchers had hoped for, thus many versions of the vaccine were created until it was perfected.

    The New Vaccine

    • By the early 1990s, the new vaccine, a series of injections beginning at 2 months of age and culminating in a booster injected at 1 year, yielded nearly a 100 percent success rate. Not only did the vaccine prevent infections in those vaccinated but also inhibited the spread of the highly contagious Hib virus. Researchers then turned their attention to developing a less expensive version of the vaccine for underdeveloped countries with at-risk populations.

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