Students heading to university should make sure they are vaccinated against four potentially deadly types of meningitis, health experts warned after figures showed many young people remained unprotected.
The vaccination, MenACWY, protects against four groups of meningococcal bacteria, which naturally live at the back of the throat in about one in 10 people without making them unwell.
But the bacteria can cause serious illness, including meningitis and septicaemia and lead to amputations, brain damage and even death.
The MenACWY jab is routinely offered alongside the 3-in-1 teenage booster at secondary school when pupils are in year 9 or 10 (aged 13 to 15).
But according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), about one in eight of those now old enough to start college or university have not had the jab. In 2021-22, 80% of pupils had been vaccinated by the end of year 10, down from 81% the previous year and 87% in 2019/20 when today’s soon-to-be freshers were in year 10..
The agency is urging students to ensure they are up to date with free jabs, including MenACWY, the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella, and the HPV vaccine to protect against diseases including cervical cancer.
Dr Shamez Ladhani, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Every year we see new and returning students get seriously ill, with some tragically dying, from what are preventable diseases.
