Pneumococcal bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae) are the second biggest cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK and Ireland.
Many people, including up to 60% of children, carry pneumococcal bacteria in the back of their nose and throat, and constantly pass them around by coughing and sneezing and close contact. Most of the time this is completely harmless. But in a susceptible person, the bacteria can cause a wide range of disease - from fairly minor bronchitis and ear and sinus infections to life-threatening pneumonia, septicaemia, and, less frequently, meningitis. Sometimes, pneumococcal meningitis can develop from more minor forms such as earache.
What are the symptoms?
Pneumococcal meningitis has the same symptoms as other forms of bacterial meningitis.
Pneumococcal infection can cause septicaemia, the blood-poisoning form of the disease, but not necessarily with meningitis.
People with pneumococcal disease do not normally get the rash which is typical of the most common kind of meningitis and septicaemia, meningococcal disease.
About 80% of people who get pneumococcal meningitis recover, about half of them without serious problems. Even so, it is among the most life-threatening of major forms of meningitis, and survivors are more likely to have after effects, including deafness, seizures and long-term brain damage than in other forms. In many cases, after effects are temporary or improve over time, and, especially with young children in the early stages of recovery, it can be difficult to tell if problems will be long-lasting.
Pneumococcal vaccination in the UK
Vaccines against pneumococcal disease
There are currently two vaccines that protect against pneumococcal disease1 - a 23-type 'polysaccharide' vaccine for people over the age of two and a newer 7-type 'conjugate' vaccine for children aged two months to five years.
23-type 'polysaccharide' vaccine
This vaccine can protect most adults for five years or more against the top 23 disease-causing types of pneumococcal infection. However, it does not work in children under two years old and is less effective in people with immune deficiencies and the under-fives.
7-type 'conjugate' vaccine
The newer 7-type conjugate vaccine is similar to the successful Hib and Men C vaccines, which provide stronger, more long-term protection than the plain polysaccharide vaccines, even in babies. The vaccine covers the seven types that cause over 80% of serious pneumococcal disease in UK children aged six months to two years and about 75% in the under fives in Europe generally.
The routine use of this vaccine in America since June 2000 has established a good safety record and shown that it is effective. It is now offered routinely in Canada and Austria.
This vaccine will be introduced into the UK childhood vaccination programme from 4 September 2006.