Since the introduction of the Hib vaccine in the 1970s, the number of cases of Haemophilus influenzae has declined steadily to the point where now the pneumococcus bacterium is by far the major cause of bacterial meningitis.

Pneumococcal meningitis is a very serious condition. It frequently leads to death or permanent brain damage and it is therefore vital that the condition be diagnosed as early as possible.

Pneumococcal meningitis can attack anyone, but it is seen most frequently in very young children, children with a recent skull fracture or head injury or individuals with a depressed immune system - individuals with a diseased or absent spleen are among those in this more susceptible group.

The Pneumococcus which casues the disease is actually carried in the nose and throat of millions of healthy children without any of them developing a serious condition. However, in a tiny minority of cases, the bacteria can enter the body of a susceptible child and cause diseases ranging from bronchitis, ear and sinus infections to the life threatening meningitis it is chiefly known for.

Typical warning signs are displayed as symptoms including a stiff neck, high fever, headache and dislike of bright lights - there is not normally any form of skin rash.

Later, the child may become delirious and fall into a coma. The development in symptoms may happen very rapidly and a child who falls into a Pneumococcal coma before being diagnosed and treated is unlikely to survive.

Even for successfully treated individuals, late diagnosis could result in permanent brain damage from the disease such as deafness, weakness or epilepsy.