As your university term begins, it is important to register with a local GP and check your vaccinations are up to date. All routine vaccinations for eligible groups are available free of charge.
Infectious diseases can spread easily in university communities, with face-to-face contact putting you at higher risk of catching and passing on infectious diseases. You need to be aware of the symptoms of the highly infectious diseases, easily spread amongst young people, such as meningitis and septicaemia. You can visit NHS.UK to check your symptoms.
What am I eligible for?
It’s really important for all students to ensure they are up to date with their vaccinations for:
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines work by helping the body's immune system make antibodies (substances that fight off infection). If you come into contact with the infection once immunised, the antibodies recognise the infection and help protect you. Vaccines have either a very weak form of the germ or virus that causes a disease, or a small part of it.
Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines are the safest way to protect against disease. All medicines (including vaccines) are tested to assess their safety and effectiveness. The safety of vaccines continues to be monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) once they're in use.
It is common to experience some side effects such as swelling, tenderness or redness at the site of the injection. Sometimes a small painless lump develops. These side effects should disappear on their own.
Very rarely, some people experience an anaphylactic reaction (serious allergic reaction) soon after vaccination. This can cause difficulty breathing and may cause them to collapse. The person giving you your vaccine is trained to deal with this extremely rare type of reaction.
Contact your GP immediately if you have a temperature of 39°C or above. If your GP surgery is closed, call 111.
Phone 999 immediately if you have a fit, or if you think you might be seriously ill.
If you become concerned about your own or someone else’s health, you must seek medical advice as early as possible. You can call 111 for advice over the phone or go to NHS 111 online. In a medical emergency, do not delay, dial 999.
If you are deaf, you can also contact 111 or textphone 18001 111 or by 111 British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter service via NHS 111. You can also text the emergency services on 999, but you need to register your phone in advance.
Posted on Friday 22 September 2023