Nasal spray hope against meningitis

Children could benefit from the spray, which is based on tackling the bacteria pneumococcus.

There are more than 90 known pneumococcal types, which can lead to deadly illnesses including pneumonia, blood poisoning and meningitis.

The bacteria also causes middle ear infection and sinusitis.

Every year across the world, up to one million under-fives die because of pneumococcus.

The new vaccine will contain a substance called D4Ply, a fragment of a protein produced by nearly all the different types of pneumococcus.

If experiments prove successful, the vaccine could therefore protect against most strains.

Experiments will focus on cells taken from the adenoids of around 30 youngsters under five to see if the vaccine is effective as a nasal spray.

Researchers believes the new vaccine could be much cheaper to produce than those already on the market, helping cut costs in the UK.