The Hib/MenC vaccine boosts your child's protection against two different diseases:
Hib and MenC infections are both serious and can both cause meningitis (infection of the membrane surrounding the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
Who should have it
The Hib/MenC is a booster vaccination offered to children between 12 and 13 months of age, within a month of their first birthday (see Hib/MenC - when it is needed).
It boosts the protection your child gets from the first course of Hib vaccine when they are 8, 12 and 16 weeks old (see the Health A-Z topic about DTaP/IPV/Hib), and the MenC vaccine when they are 12 and 16 weeks (see the Health A-Z topic about MenC vaccination). This boosted immunity lasts into adulthood.
About the vaccine
The Hib/MenC vaccine is inactivated. This means it does not contain any live organisms so there is no risk of catching the diseases against which it protects.
There is no mercury (thiomersal) in Hib/MenC.
How effective is this vaccine?
The Hib/MenC booster is highly effective and protects children when they are most vulnerable to the diseases. Rates of Hib disease and MenC are now at their lowest ever levels.
Last updated: 04 October 2011
Continue to next section: When the Hib/MenC booster is offered