Meningitis and septicaemia are deadly diseases that can kill in hours. Anyone can become infected; within the UK the two most common forms of bacterial meningitis are meningococcal meningitis (caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis) and pneumococcal meningitis (caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae). Both types of bacteria can also cause septicaemia.

Pneumococcal meningitis is more common in infants and young children under the age of 2 years, as their immune systems are not yet fully developed, and adults with weakened immune systems.
Pneumococcal meningitis was the UK’s second most common cause of meningitis.

UK children are among the first worldwide to benefit from a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that covers 13 types of pneumococcal disease including meningitis and septicaemia.

Before the introduction of a routine vaccination against pneumococcal disease in 2006, pneumococcal infection killed approximately one child every week; many more were left disabled.

Immunisation through the administration of a vaccine stimulates the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease. The pneumococcal vaccine encourages the child’s body to produce antibodies against pneumococcal bacteria.

Antibodies are proteins that help protect your child by neutralising or destroying disease-carrying organisms and toxins. The vaccine protects against most pneumococcal bacteria, although there is no guarantee that they will be immune to all types.

It is estimated that between two and three million deaths throughout the world are averted through immunisation each year.

The UK immunisation programme continues to evolve, meeting the demand to improve the control of infectious diseases through vaccination. Today’s child has the broadest available protection against pneumococcal disease. 

Click here to view our interactive wheel showing the current routine childhood vaccinations.

To find further information on vaccination and how the latest pneumococcal vaccine, approved by the Department of Health in 2010, protects children against 13 strains of pneumococcal bacteria click on Protect.

Did you know?

• Meningitis can kill in under 4 hours
• About 1 in 10 people with meningitis will die from the disease
• Every year, about 3,000 people in the UK are affected by all types of bacterial meningitis
• 1 in 7 survivors of meningitis will be left with a permanent disability such as loss of limbs, blindness, deafness or brain damage

Treatment guidelines

Treatment of meningitis and septicaemia is a medical emergency.

• It is a priority to control the infection as soon as possible when this diagnosis is suspected, usually with antibiotics
• Treatment then differs, according to the type of infection, but is extremely complicated and requires the support of the multidisciplinary medical team in both the acute infective phase and then the recovery

If you suspect that you, or someone else in your care, has meningitis or septicaemia, seek medical advice immediately.