Introduction There is no uniformity of opinion in pediatric circles concerning chemoprophylaxis of young children after intimate exposure to Hemophilus influenzae meningitis. The standard pediatric texts1-3offer no comment on this point, nor is there any mention of it in numerous reviews of bacterial meningitis.4-7A symposium on chemoprophylaxis of infection by Petersdorf8does not discuss this illness. In 3 major texts of infectious diseases,9-11there is a variation in emphasis on prophylaxis of H. influenzae disease. Krugman and Ward9state that prophylaxis is unnecessary, Top10makes no comment, but Stimson and Hodes11recommend prophylaxis. Since at present over 90% of deaths from H. influenzae meningitis occur under the age of 1 year, even though only 50% of the cases occur by this age, it is evident that this young age group should be managed differently from the older group. This paper will