Students urged to get MMR and Men C vaccination

Students returning to university are being urged to get their MMR and Men C vaccination.

Head of the immunisation department at the Health Protection Agency, Dr Mary Ramsay says: “measles and meningitis are infections that can both be fatal, it is absolutely vital that all students ensure they are completely up to date with all their vaccinations, especially the MMR and Men C vaccine.

“University bars and campuses where lots of students are in close proximity is an ideal place for bacteria and viruses to spread which is why we may see more outbreaks of these infections in this environment.

“The MMR will protect against measles, mumps and rubella – all serious infections that can lead to many complications. Mumps can be a very unpleasant illness and can require hospital treatment. Although the Men C vaccine does not protect against all the bacteria that can lead to meningitis it is still vital to make sure you are protected against that strain. There is no vaccine for the meningitis B strain which is more common which is why we are also reminding students about the early warning signs of this infection.”

There were 777 confirmed cases of measles reported up to the end of July this year, compared with 374 for the whole of 2010.

Most of the cases involved children or adults aged under 25 years of age at schools or universities. Many of the patients had not been vaccinated.