Save a life: Recognise the symptoms
Save the link below to your smart phone and make sure you are familiar with the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia – it could save a life.
Vaccines for students
Ideally, you should have any vaccines you have missed before leaving for university or college so you can build up protection before you arrive.
Before buying duvet covers or cutlery, put vaccines on your to do list.
Ideally, you should have any vaccines you have missed before leaving for university or college so you can build up protection before you arrive. If that's not possible, arrange to have any missed vaccines as soon as possible with your new GP Practice on arrival at university/ college. Register with your new GP before you leave for uni – don’t wait until you’re ill.
Make sure you are up-to-date with all your free routine NHS vaccines
There are many vaccines in the routine childhood vaccination schedule that students starting university will have been offered by the NHS over the years, starting from just a few weeks of age:
- This includes two doses of MMR which will have been first offered at 12 months and 18 months of age.
- HPV and MenACWY vaccines will have been offered in secondary school.
Check with your GP practice if you're not sure whether you have missed any of the these vaccines and book an appointment at your GP practice if you need to catch up:
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1
One dose of MenACWY vaccine
The MenACWY vaccine is offered to teenagers in school, but can be given up to your 25th birthday if it's been missed. It's also available for some people who are at increased risk of getting meningitis because of:
- a medical condition
- work
- travel
- close contact with someone who's infected
It protects against the four strains (A, C, W & Y) of meningococcal meningitis (dangerous inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) which can lead to septicaemia (blood poisoning). Find out more about the MenACWY vaccine.
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2
Two doses of MMR
The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. It is recommended for adults and children born on or before 31 December 2019 who did not have the MMR vaccine when they were younger.
Measles can have serious complications, and the disease is currently circulating in the UK with cases across the country. It can lead to one in five needing a hospital visit.
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3
One dose of HPV vaccine
All children from aged 12 to 13 (school Year 8) are offered the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine. It protects against nine high risk strains of the HPV virus that can lead to some cancers, including cervical cancer, mouth cancer, head and neck cancer, and cancers of the male and female genitals.
If you missed getting vaccinated when you were 12 or 13, the HPV vaccine is available for free on the NHS for:
- all girls aged 24 and under up until their 25th birthday
- boys born after 1 September 2006 up until their 25th birthday
Students who identify as men who have sex with men are also eligible for the HPV vaccine when they visit a specialist sexual health service.
Contact your GP Practice if you were eligible for the HPV vaccine but did not get vaccinated.
If you’re going to university or college in Scotland, visit the NHS inform website to find out what vaccines you may be eligible for and how to get them if you haven’t already.
If you are starting university or college in the UK and were born elsewhere, or are currently living elsewhere, the vaccinations you may have been offered can differ from those offered by the NHS. Check with your GP Practice when you register as a patient to see what vaccines you have had and which ones you may be eligible for.
It is really important that students in certain health risk groups have any additional vaccines they are recommended (like those protecting against flu).
Meningitis - know the signs
MenACWY vaccine gives you high protection against four common forms of meningococcal disease but won’t protect against others, like MenB.
While this disease is very rare, it is important you know the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning), how to get medical help if you need it, and how to look out for your health and the health of others.