Vaccination for students
Being up to date with all vaccinations is important for all of us, especially for students starting university and college who will be meeting, mixing and living with lots of new people.
Universities can be hot spots for measles, mumps, meningitis and sepsis as well as flu and COVID-19 as they present the perfect opportunity for infections to spread.
Some students who start university for the first time this autumn will have missed routine vaccines earlier in life that protect them against potentially fatal conditions.
You can check your vaccination status and make arrangements to receive any missed doses by contacting your GP. Alternatively, you can contact your local immunisation team to find out how to catch up on any missed vaccines.
Tick list for going to college or university
Before going to university or college, check you are up to date with vaccinations.
Ideally vaccines should be given at least two weeks before starting college or university as this allows your body time to build protection. However, vaccines can be given at any time. Don’t delay, the sooner the better!
Even if you have already started college or university, you can still check with your GP surgery to see if you are up to date. You can then arrange to get any vaccines you might have missed.
You should have received the following vaccines up to the age of 16 as part of the routine vaccination programme:
- two doses of MMR vaccine (protection against measles, mumps and rubella)
- one dose of MenACWY vaccine (available up to your 25th birthday) (protection against Meningococcal groups ACW&Y)
- five doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and polio containing vaccine
- one dose of HPV vaccine (available up to your 25th birthday) * (protection against human papillomavirus)
* Males (born on or after 01.09.2006) and females can have the HPV vaccine until they reach their 25th birthday. Young people who have a weakened immune system or are HIV positive are offered 3 doses of HPV vaccine.
For the 2026/27 academic year, students starting university or residential college for the first time should also check whether they are eligible for the MenB vaccine. Further detail is available from Meningococcal Group B (MenB) vaccine.
Gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) can have the HPV vaccine up to 45 years of age through sexual health services. For those aged 25 years and over, a two-dose course of HPV is required.
GBMSM may also be eligible for other vaccines to improve protection against Hepatitis A and B, Mpox and Gonorrhoea, speak to your sexual health clinic.
Information
If you are in a group that is at higher risk from flu and COVID-19, don’t forget to arrange to have these vaccines when you are offered them.
Once you get to university you should:
- Register with a GP as soon as you can – don’t wait until you have a problem.
- Arrange with your GP to catch up on any vaccines you have missed or are due.
Do you need to add vaccination to your to do list?
Everyone who can be vaccinated should take up the offer as this helps to protect not only you, but vulnerable people who are at risk too. This includes people who can’t be vaccinated and people with a weakened immune system. When you have a vaccine, it can reduce the spread of infectious diseases. It also improves protection for you, your family, your friends and those you come into contact with.
Vaccination Information
For more information about the following vaccinations see information here:
Further information on other vaccines available can be found at list of vaccinations.
MenB Vaccination
The MenACWY vaccine does not protect against Meningococcal group B disease. Vaccination against MenB disease is offered to babies as part of the routine schedule for vaccination. If you were born before May 2015 then you will not have been offered the MenB vaccine as part of the routine vaccination programme.
There is a time limited vaccination programme to offer MenB vaccination to young people at increased risk of meningococcal disease. This includes all young people born between 1st of September 2007 and 31 August 2008 (aged 17 to 18 years old). The vaccine is also being offered to those born after 21/7/2001 who are planning to attend attending university or residential further education for the first time in Autumn 2026. Further detail is available from Meningococcal Group B (MenB) vaccine.
Other people who are identified as being at increased risk may also be offered the MenB vaccine. This is based on current JCVI recommendations.
For those who aren’t eligible for vaccination on the NHS, the MenB vaccine may be available privately. This could be through some private GP practices, pharmacies and vaccination travel clinics.
To get the best protection against vaccine preventable diseases, get vaccinated when you are offered them.
What do I need to do to get my vaccinations?
If you are eligible to receive the MenB vaccine, further detail on how to access the vaccine is available from Meningococcal Group B (MenB) vaccine.
For all other vaccines, contact your GP surgery in the first instance. If you aren’t sure which vaccinations you’ve had, check with them as they should have a record of all vaccines you have been given. If your records are unavailable, or you think you have missed some vaccines, make an appointment to have them as soon as possible.
In some cases, if there is no reliable history or record of vaccines that you have been previously given, then you will be offered the missing vaccines. This is to ensure your best protection.
Already at university or college?
If you have moved to a new city for university and registered with a new GP, they should have your records and can check your vaccination history for you.
If in doubt, have your vaccinations and make sure you are fully protected. Being fully vaccinated, means you have the best protection against these serious diseases. No vaccine is 100% effective, so you still should watch out for the signs and symptoms of any disease and look after your health. Then you can get on with enjoying everything that university has to offer.
Know the signs and symptoms
We want everyone to be well and enjoy their time at university, but mixing with new people can increase the spread of infectious diseases.
Many new students catch ‘freshers’ flu’ and will need to rest. You can take over the counter medication such as paracetamol to help you feel better.
If you have symptoms of meningitis or sepsis, measles or mumps you should seek medical advice quickly. Signs and symptoms of meningitis and sepsis can be found at Meningitis Now (external site).
Alternatively, information can be found at the NHS 111 Wales website (external site).
Feeling ill – tell someone!
You can call 111 for advice over the phone from NHS 111.
In an emergency dial 999.
If you are unwell, tell someone, preferably someone who can check that you are ok and call for help if you are not. Trust your instincts, stay in touch with your neighbours and look out for each other.
Information for universities and colleges
The UKHSA have published a toolkit (vaccines communications toolkit for universities, colleges and other higher education settings (external site)) that is available to download. The toolkit contains information and resources on vaccinations for students, and the diseases they protect against. This toolkit also includes links to relevant information for Wales.