Nurses and doctors are preparing to immunise 14,000 children against the potentially-fatal meningitis C bug later this summer.

The next phase of the massive vaccination programme in East Sussex will protect children between five and nine.

School nurses and community paediatricians have spent 11 months immunising 30,000 children aged nine to 18 in schools and universities across East Sussex in line with the national programme.

Lynne Thomson, child health manager with South Downs Health NHS Trust, which has helped manage the immunisation campaign in East Sussex, said: "The school health team has found the campaign rewarding in terms of working together and protecting large numbers of young people against this infection in a relatively short space of time."

Last July the Government announced the introduction of the new meningitis C vaccine. The introduction of the immunisations was staggered according to the availability of the vaccine, with children and young people most at risk protected first.

During the past few years there have been consistent increases in meningitis.

Meningitis C infections account for 40 per cent of all cases.

Nationally, the Department of Health estimates the vaccination programme has reduced the rate of infection by 75 per cent in the 15 to 17 age bracket.

The campaign, which has cost the trust £50,000 so far, started last September at universities. In November and December, the immunisations included babies aged up to a year and young people aged 15 to 18.

Between January and July of this year, the campaign continued with children aged between nine and 15 being immunised.