Tragically, we are once again reporting about another vaccine-preventable disease death.
No, it’s not measles this time…
An unvaccinated child in Montana recently died because they were sick from a Hib infection.
There Has Been Another Vaccine-Preventable Disease Death
You remember Hib, don’t you?
Hib is the acronym for Haemophilus influenzae type b, a bacterium that can cause meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis.
In fact, before we got our Hib vaccines, it very commonly led to deaths in children from meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis.
“Before effective H. influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines were introduced, one in 200 children developed invasive Hib disease by the age of 5 years. Sixty percent of these children had meningitis; 3%-6% died. Virtually all invasive H. influenzae disease in the pre-vaccine era (<1988) was due to Hib and Hib was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis.”
Invasive Haemophilus influenzae Quicksheet
Deaths from Hib that had started to come back, as we have been trying to warn everyone the last few years.
Warnings that have sadly, mostly been ignored.
And that’s why we are once again reporting about another vaccine-preventable disease death.
An unvaccinated child who died because they were sick with Hib, which can be prevented with a vaccine that has been around since 1987.
What else?
We don’t know how many Hib deaths there have been the last few years, but we do now that:
there were 21 Hib cases in 2025 (kids under age 5 years), including cases in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado (3 cases), Idaho, Illinois, Indiana (2 cases), Kentucky (2 cases), Mississippi (2 cases), New York (5 cases), and Ohio (3 cases).
there have already been 28 Hib cases this year (kids under age 5 years), including cases in Florida, Illinois, Indiana (2 cases), Kansas (2 cases), Kentucky, Mississippi, New York (5 cases), North Carolina, Ohio (7 cases), Pennsylvania (5 cases), Tennessee, and West Virginia.
And we know that this, despite being stats from the CDC, is an undercount, as it is obviously missing the two cases in Florida that Paul Offit reported on…
“I want everyone to know how serious matters are,” said Dr. Eehab Kenawy, a Panama City pediatrician. “Just in the past six months, we had two patients in the ICU with Hib. One child unfortunately succumbed at 4 months of age. No vaccines. One month ago, I was on call, and another patient came into the ICU, a 2½-year-old, never vaccinated. Hib again. Abscesses in the brain, seizures, coma, intubated.”
The Return of Hib?
So yes, Hib is returning.
It shouldn’t be, but it is.
Stop listening to anti-vaccine influencers.
Stop the outbreaks.
More on Hib Deaths
The Incredible Hulk’s Son Died of a Vaccine Preventable Disease
NNDSS Weekly Data - Haemophilus influenzae, invasive disease, Age <5 years, Serotype b - Accessed Oct 2, 2026.