Childhood protection against meningitis and septicaemia

Getting your child vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect them against serious diseases. ‘Meningitis’ is an infection of the membranes around the brain and spine and ‘septicaemia’ is blood poisoning, both are conditions of pneumococcal disease.

Pneumococcal disease is caused a bacterium known as Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcal bacteria. This bacterium has many different strains or types that can cause a number of conditions, which include meningitis and septicaemia, pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and acute otitis media (middle ear infection).

In September 2006, the Department of Health introduced a pneumococcal vaccination available to all children under two years of age as part of the national childhood immunisation programme. You should make sure your child receives all their routine childhood vaccinations, as it is the most effective way of keeping them protected against infectious diseases.

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

The most vulnerable to this disease are the very young, older people and those where infection is more common because of underlying conditions.

Is it meningitis or septicaemia?

To see what symptoms to look out for click here.

You can also check whether you have a particular risk of contracting meningitis or septicaemia by clicking here.

Points to remember

• Diagnosing meningitis can often be difficult as symptoms are similar to the flu (influenza)
• The ‘Tumbler Test’ is where a clear glass is placed firmly on one of the spots or blotches. If it doesn’t fade and is still visible through the glass, it is likely that the rash is caused by septicaemia BUT this is not a definitive diagnosis. If a GP suspects meningitis, he will immediately refer the person to hospital
• A sample of spinal fluid will be taken to check for the presence of bacteria or viruses
• 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