Public Health England is currently promoting a campaign to encourage freshers to get the Meningitis Group C vaccination before coming to university and HE colleges.

In the UK, all children are offered MenC vaccine to protect them against MenC infection but, as the protection offered by the vaccine can wane, a booster for teenagers was added last year.

Do you need the MenC booster?

Anyone aged between 17 and 25 that have not had a booster since around the age of 10 and will be starting university/college and therefore mixing with lots of new people, are deemed to be in a higher risk group and so should have the MenC booster.

The MenC booster is available to any student entering university for the first time born after September 1995 and who received the MenC vaccine under the age of 10 years, or any student of any age entering or being at university who is unvaccinated against MenC disease. Anyone born before September 1995 and who received the MenC vaccination at secondary school won’t need another dose.

The vaccine is also important for students coming to study from abroad who are unable to get the vaccine at home.

Read further information about the Meningococcal C vaccine from Public Health England News Release or go online.