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Pneumococcal disease is the name for a group of infections caused by a germ called pneumococcus. These infections can be mild, like sinus or ear infections, but some are very serious and can lead to:
Pneumonia – an infection in your lungs
Sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to an infection that can harm your whole body
Meningitis – swelling around your brain and spinal cord, which can cause long-term health problems or death
Pneumococcal infection is one of the most common causes of meningitis.
Pneumococcal infections can affect anyone, but babies are more likely to become very ill. The pneumococcal vaccine is offered to babies as part of the NHS routine vaccination programme. All babies are offered the pneumococcal vaccine at:
16 weeks of age, and
12 months of age.
The vaccine provides good protection against pneumococcal infection. It does not protect against meningitis caused by other bacteria or viruses. Therefore, you still need to know the signs and symptoms to look out for.
For more information about symptoms, go to Pneumococcal infections | NHS inform (external site)
www.meningitisnow.org (external site)