Mission: To make health a top priority for everyone in Northern Ireland.

Aim:
To provide information both to members of the public and health professionals about the extra dose of the Hib vaccine and the planned immunisation programme.

Objectives:

• To increase awareness of the seriousness of Hib infections.
• To provide information and increase knowledge of how the Hib vaccine protects children.
• To motivate parents to get their children immunised.
• To help answer parents’ questions about the Hib immunisation.
• To help deliver the DHSSPS Hib immunisation campaign.
• To stress the continuing need to be aware and alert to the signs of meningitis and septicaemia.
• To provide concise yet comprehensive information on Hib for professionals.

Background:
The HPA was commissioned by the DHSSPS to produce material to support a Hib immunisation campaign to run for four months during 2003. The Department had recommended that an extra dose of Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib) vaccine should be offered to all children aged between six months and four years on 1 April 2003. The booster dose was required to enhance the immunity of children in the age group against Hib infection and was introduced in response to a rise in cases of Hib disease throughout the UK.

Hib is an infection that can cause serious illness in young children, including meningitis, painful joints, pneumonia and epiglottitis (swelling of the throat leading to a severe blockage of the airway). Hib leads to death in 1 in 20 cases. Prior to the introduction of Hib vaccine in Northern Ireland, Hib disease was a cause of significant morbidity, with almost 30 cases per year.

The campaign:
The HPA provided support for the campaign through the production of a range of information materials for professionals and the public. An information leaflet Hib: make sure your child is protected was produced for parents of children in the target group. This was distributed to parents through the Child Health System along with an invitation to bring their children to their GP for the Hib booster. Health visitors and GP practices also helped to distribute information to the public.

The HPA also adapted a pack for health professionals with permission from the Department of Health in England. The A4 folder contained five elements:

• the information leaflet for parents
• an A3 poster for display in GP surgeries and other healthcare settings
• a factsheet on Hib
• a factsheet on diphtheria tetanus wholecell pertussis (DTwP) primary immunisations (which are generally given as a single injection along with Hib)
• a letter about the campaign from the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Nursing Officer.

These packs were mailed to GPs, health visitors and other health professionals to coincide with the launch in May 2003.