Indiana Boy, 8, Dies Within Hours From Rare Hib Bacterial Infection Despite Being Vaccinated

Little Liam Dahlberg, eight, from Indiana , complained of a headache after coming home from school last month — the next day he was dead

An 8-year-old Indiana boy died less than 24 hours after first complaining of a mild headache, which turned out to be a rare and fatal bacterial infection known as Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). His devastated mother, Ashlee Dahlberg, is now urging other parents to ensure their children are protected against the potentially deadly illness.

Liam Dahlberg returned home from school in April with what appeared to be a minor headache. The next morning, Ashlee noticed a disturbing change in her typically lively son’s behavior and rushed him to the hospital. Doctors quickly diagnosed Liam with Hib, a highly aggressive bacterial infection that can spread rapidly, often with fatal consequences.

He was diagnosed with haemophilus influenzae, also known as H. flu , which had spread to his brain and spinal cord

“Anybody that contracts it usually dies within 24 hours,” Dahlberg said. A subsequent MRI revealed the infection had spread to cover her son’s brain and spinal cord. “Basically, at that point in time, there was nothing they could do,” she added.

Liam passed away in less than a day from the first onset of symptoms.

Through tears, Dahlberg recounted the painful moments of being told by doctors that she had done everything right. “To lay there with him as they took him off life support, I can feel his little heartbeat fade away — there’s no words that can describe that pain,” she said.

An MRI showed that the infection had spread and was covering the 8-year-old’s brain and spinal cord.

Hib is a bacterial—not viral—infection that typically affects young children and the elderly. It is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets and can remain dormant in the noses and throats of healthy individuals. When the immune system is weakened or compromised by a prior viral infection, Hib can invade the bloodstream and travel to critical organs, including the brain and spinal cord, causing potentially fatal complications.

Dr. Eric Yancy, an Indianapolis pediatrician familiar with the infection, explained that before the introduction of the Hib vaccine in the 1980s, the illness was devastating. “If it didn’t kill the children within a very short period of time, it left many of them with significant complications,” he said.

The family is still unsure how Liam caught the infection — he had been fully vaccinated against H.flu as part of his routine childhood vaccinations

While Liam had received the Hib vaccine, experts believe he may have been infected by someone who was unvaccinated. Hib infections in the U.S. have declined by over 99% since widespread immunization began in 1991. Prior to the vaccine’s introduction, approximately 20,000 children under the age of five contracted severe Hib disease annually, resulting in about 1,000 deaths.

In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported fewer than 50 Hib cases nationwide.

Despite the low case numbers, Dahlberg is urging other families not to take chances. “I feel like I have failed my child because I could not protect him from everything that would cause harm,” she said, calling for parents to stay vigilant and ensure full immunization against the bacterial infection.