Emergence of Haemophilus Influenza Type A In Arctic Indigenous Populations
The incidence of invasive infections of Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib) has declined wherever protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccines have been introduced for routine use in children. The decline of Hib disease and asymptomatic pharyngeal colonization by Hib have raised concerns about the possibility of “replacement disease” due to non-serotype-b H. influenzae filling the ecologic niche previously held by Hib. Since 2002, Hia infections have emerged among indigenous children of Alaska and Northern Canada, creating a new health disparity. The Canadian government began development of a novel Hia vaccine in 2013. In this symposium, we propose to describe what is known about the epidemiology of non-serotype b Haemophilus influenzae among indigenous North American children. We will describe plans for and progress towards a new Hia vaccine.