Student Vaccinations Vaccines for Students Meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) Vaccine MMR Vaccine Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Vaccines for Students As your college or university term begins, remember to check your vaccines are up-to-date. Read about keeping yourself protected from serious diseases. Infectious diseases can spread easily in college and university communities. More face-to-face contact means you’re at higher risk of catching and passing on infectious diseases. It’s really important for all students to ensure they’re up-to-date with their vaccines before starting college or university. You should have had: Meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine If you’ve missed any of your vaccines, make sure you try and get them as soon as possible. To check your eligibility and make a request for a missed vaccination, see MenACWY, MMR & HPV information below. Meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) Vaccine Find out more about the MenACWY vaccine, and when and where to get it. The meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine helps protect against meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning). These infections are caused by meningococcal bacteria groups A, C, W and Y. Young people have a higher risk of getting meningococcal disease. You’ll be offered immunisation to protect yourself and others around you. Eligibility Meningitis and septicaemia are very serious diseases. They can cause permanent disability and death. The symptoms can come on quickly. You may be eligible for the MenACWY vaccination if you: are attending further education in Scotland are aged up to 25 years old have not had the MenACWY vaccination If eligible, you should contact the Lothian Vaccination Enquiries Helpline to self-refer for vaccination. MMR Vaccine Find out more about the MMR vaccine and when and where to get it The MMR vaccine helps to protect people against measles, mumps and rubella. It’s also offered to adults who missed their childhood immunisations or who have no record of having had 2 MMR vaccines. Measles, mumps and rubella are highly infectious viral diseases. They can cause serious medical complications. Learn more about measles Learn more about mumps Learn more about rubella A high number of people in Scotland have had the MMR vaccine. This means there has been a big reduction in the number of people catching these diseases; however, vaccination remains vital to maintaining this reduction. Eligibility Young people and adults who missed out on their MMR vaccine may be eligible, including those who are planning a pregnancy. If you didn’t have 2 doses of the MMR vaccine as a child, you can contact your local NHS immunisation team to discuss eligibility and vaccination. Contact the Lothian Vaccination Enquiries Helpline to self-refer for vaccination. Those aged 25 and over, please contact your GP practice for a Non-routine Vaccine Referral to be completed. This will be processed by your local Health & Social Care Partnership before an appointment can be offered. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects from cancers and genital warts caused by HPV infection. Find out more about the vaccine, and when and where to get it. What is HPV? HPV is a common virus, often with no noticeable symptoms. Most people clear the virus naturally. However, HPV can increase your risk of certain cancers and can be transmitted to others. HPV spreads primarily through intimate sexual contact, including skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. HPV-Related Cancers HPV can lead to: Head and neck cancers Cervical cancer Anogenital cancers (e.g., anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar) HPV Vaccine Benefits The HPV vaccine protects against most HPV-related cancers and over 90% of genital wart infections. Eligibility If you were eligible for the HPV vaccine but didn’t receive it, you may still be able to get it until the age of 25. This applies to: Boys eligible from the 2019/2020 academic year Girls under 25 eligible under previous programmes introduced in 2008 If eligible, you should contact the Lothian Vaccination Enquiries Helpline to self-refer for vaccination. HPV Vaccination Schedule Change Individuals under 25 who started a two- or three-dose schedule before January 2023 are considered fully vaccinated. HPV Vaccination for Men Who Have Sex with Men The HPV vaccine is available in Scotland for men who have sex with men and are aged 45 years and under. For further information, please visit the MSM page on Lothian Sexual Health.
