Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain, and a baby with meningitis can become seriously ill within a matter of hours. If the illness is identified and treated quickly, most children make a full recovery. However, because your baby can't tell you whether he's experiencing symptoms such as a severe headache, for example, you need to extra alert on his behalf. If your baby show the following symptoms, contact your doctor immediately, or take him to the nearest emergency department:

What is Meningitis?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can develop very rapidly. In young children the earliest symptoms are often hard to recognise, with flu-like illness leading to vomiting, fever, irritability, a high-pitched cry and refusing feeds. Most people recover from the disease, but some are left deaf or blind and it can kill.

Red or purple bruise-like spots that do not fad under pressure may mean that septicaemia (blood poisoning) is also present. This blood infection often accompanies meningitis and can progress quickly to coma and death.

Meningitis can be caused by a number of different types of viruses or bacteria. Meningococcal group B and C are two types of bacteria that cause a high number of cases of meningitis in the UK. Group B is the commonest, but group C causes more deaths. These bacteria can cause meningitis or septicaemia or both at once.

The new vaccine protects against group C meningitis and septicaemia. No one has yet been able to develop a vaccine against group B that would protect against the disease in the UK.

How Common are Meningitis and Septicaemia
Meningitis and septicaemia are not very common but there are very serious. They are the commonest cause of death among children aged one to five and the most common infectious disease causing death in children and young people. In 1998 there were around 1530 cases of group C meningitis and septicaemia in the UK. Around 150 people died.

Who is at Greatest Risk?
Meningitis C is most common in babies. Young people aged 15 to 17 are the next highest risk group. The risk of dying or having complications is highest in this older group.

How is it Spread?
Meningococcal bacteria can be spread by coughing, sneezing or direct contact such as kissing. The bacteria live naturally in the throats or noses of about 1 in 10 people without causing any illness. The figure can be even higher among young people - nearly 25%.

What does the Vaccine Protect Against?
The new vaccine protects against group C meningitis and septicaemia. The new vaccine will not protect against other causes of meningitis and septicaemia.

How is the Vaccine Made?
The new vaccine is made from a small part of the meningococcal bacteria. It is made in the same way as the Hib meningitis vaccine, that has been given routinely to babies since 1992. Hib vaccine is very safe and has nearly wiped out Hib meningitis in this country.

How does it Work?
The vaccine causes the immune system to produce antibodies to protect against group C meningococcal disease. If an immunised person comes into contact with the real bacteria, the antibodies will provide protection.

Can you get Meningitis or Septicaemia from the Vaccine?
The new vaccine is not live and cannot give anyone meningitis or septicaemia.

How Many Doses will be Needed for Complete Protection?

• Babies aged two, three and four months will have doses with each of their DTP-Hib and polio immunisations.
• Babies aged over four months up to one year will have two doses at least one month apart.
• Children over one year and adults need only one dose.

Is the New Vaccine Safe?
Although this is a new vaccine, it contains ingredients that are very similar to the Hib vaccine. It has been thoroughly tested in children of all ages and provides good protection with very few side effects. The new vaccine has been tested carefully and has proved to be safe.

Can the Vaccine be given at the Same Time as Other Vaccines?
The new vaccine has been thoroughly tested and babies' and children's immune systems respond very well to this and other routine immunisations.

What are the Side Effects?
Babies

• Some redness and swelling where the injection is given.

Toddlers (over 12 months)

• Some redness or swelling where the injection is given.
• One in four toddlers may have disturbed sleep.
• One in 20 toddlers may have a mild fever.

Pre-school children

• About one in 20 may have swelling where the injection is given.
• About one in 50 may have a mild fever within a few days of vaccination.

Children and young people

• About one in four may have swelling or redness where the injection is given.
• About one in 50 may have a mild temperature.
• About one in 100 may have a very sore arm from the injection which may last a day or so.

Are there Any Reasons Why the New Vaccine should not be given?
There are very few medical reasons why the immunisation shouldn't be given. They include:

• A high fever on the day of the injection.
• A severe allergic reaction to a previous immunisation - please check with your doctor or nurse.
• Young women who think they may be pregnant. Please check with your doctor or nurse.

The vaccine may not be fully effective in someone with a serious condition of their immune system.

Ask your doctor or nurse if you are not sure whether you should have the immunisation.