Increasingly, companies that are devoted to the home market seem to be directing their research efforts toward tests for serious maladies, including cancers of the breast, prostate and lung, glaucoma, leukemia, asthma, ulcers and childhood meningitis.

Shorter antibiotic courses for childhood meningitis.

Vaccinations against Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) have decreased early childhood meningitis significantly in developed countries and recently in developing countries.

A vaccine against one of the most common forms of childhood meningitis could reduce the number of deaths in the UK even further.

Their oldest died in a tragic boating accident and another died from childhood meningitis.

Vaccines against yellow fever, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b, a major cause of childhood meningitis and pneumonia, are routine in rich countries.

The oldest, Christian, died in a boating accident in 1934, and another, Harald, died from childhood meningitis.

The third group who will benefit substantially from cochlear implantation are post-lingual subjects who have lost hearing: a common cause is childhood meningitis.

The mission of the Hib Initiative is to expedite and execute evidence-based decisions regarding the use of Hib vaccination in order to prevent childhood meningitis and pneumonia.

In addition to childhood meningitis, the Hib bacterium also causes pneumonia, pericarditis and arthritis.