Stages and progress The incubation period of Hib is only a few hours to two days. If meningitis develops, the child is contagious and requires isolation. If meningitis is diagnosed and treated quickly, the child should recover in a few weeks. Hib is spread by contact with a healthy person who is a carrier. It goes into the body through the mouth or nose, then enters the blood .
Outbreaks can occur in crowded places such as day-care centers.
The best prevention is immunization. All infants should begin Hib vaccination when they are two months old. Children over fifteen months or less than five years old who have not been vaccinated should be given a single dose of vaccine. Older children and adults are unlikely to become ill from Hib and so do not need to be vaccinated.