Meningococcal disease is dangerous, and it can kill you.

For every 100 people who get it:

• four will die
• 20 will be left with some serious disability, such as brain damage, deafness, loss of limbs or damaged skin
• others will be left with learning or behavioural difficulties.

It is very important that someone with meningitis gets help from a doctor as soon as possible.

At first, it is very hard to tell whether someone has meningococcal disease.

A person may have a fever, a stiff neck, and feel sleepy and have a headache. Sometimes they ache, and they don't like bright lights, and they may vomit.

The problem is, lots of other diseases that aren't serious can make you feel like this too.

Later on people develop a rash, but by this time, the person is very seriously sick.