Meningitis C vaccination booster for those about to start uni

[BeckAndCall]

So, i seemed to have missed the memo.

Apparently, for the first time, this years new intake to uni (ie current 18 year olds) are recommended to have a Men C booster which you can get from your GP and should have before they head off.

This is because those born after Sept 1995 will have had the first round as a baby or toddler (my DD had it when she was 4, i checked) and the effectiveness wears off. if they are older and had it as a school age child (which my elder two did -8 and 10 ) it will still be effective (and they are past the second wave age of likely getting the disease)

So i thought I'd mention it in case anyone else, like me, didnt know..... put it on your departing DC's list of things to do!

[Floundering]

Good post thanks!

[Theas18]

Check- done that :)

Def worth the reminder though. Halls are a good medium to spread illness and every year there seems to be a headline about a meningitis death.

Also worth having a chat with your kids about managing minor illness/recognising when it might be getting serious and keeping an eye out for poorly friends. It's one of those things that most teens haven't really learned I think ( especially chez theas as I do have a good grasp of it so they are mostly told to soldier on!).
Mine have also had the " what to do if your mate is passing out /puking drunk" talk.

[alreadytaken]

nothing new about it and they may be offered it at university but if they have it at home at least you know it's done. Good advice about the illness, my child heard of several admitted to hospital this year.

[onadifferentplanet]

Someone linked a leaflet with the new recommendations quite recently. The advice seems to be at least two weeks before students start if possible. Ds had one last week, our local surgery seemed to be quite on the ball and he got a next day appointment when he called up

[secretsquirrels]

I mentioned it on the other thread. Here's the link again
Just a warning, don't have it the day before anything important.
DS1 had his last week and thought he'd done well with just a mildly sore arm. 24 hours later he had a high temperature, headache and shivers which lasted another 24 hours.

Universities are supposed to be putting it in the welcome pack.

[pinkrose123]

Hi does anyone know if GPs keep a list of vaccinations given - even if they were administered at school - and do students need to take a copy with them when they start at Uni? My son was born in October 1994 and I'm 99.9% sure he had the Men C vaccination in his reception year at school, so aged 5, but would like him to get a list just to make sure!

[alreadytaken]

the gp will have a list but it is possible it may not be complete. Medical students either get a printout to take to university or have all the vaccinations again. Other students might not need it but it is useful to have a record.

[secretsquirrels]

Yes they do, DS has to take a list of his vaccinations to uni and the GP receptionist just printed it off for him. AS the OP said though, the Men C your DS had aged 5 will have worn off by now.

[pinkrose123]

Ah thanks I'll get him to ring tomorrow.

[boys3]

pink likewise with squirrel DS1 got jabbed this afternoon, booked yesterday afternoon and straight in and out no waiting around at all. Got a print out of all his vaccinations and dates at the same time. He has to complete and email medical form with all vaccination dates in advance of Uni start.

[pinkrose123]

Well he called in and got a print out no problem, but they don't know if he needs the Men C booster or not as it's for those born after September 1995 (he was born in October 1994) who are starting uni between now and 2017. Looking at the print out he was just over 5 and half when he had his Men C. Waiting for the practice nurse to ring him.

[ISingSoprano]

pinkrose - if he's starting uni for the first time this year he is entitled to a MenC booster - his date of birth is irrelevant.

[Gilnahirk]

I made my son an appointment for a booster last week, but when he went along the nurse said he didn't need it. His original one was August 2000, just before his 4th birthday.
Think I will query it.

[CPtart]

Gilnahirk, I'm a practice nurse. Your son does need it if his last one was August 2000. Get her to check the "green book" ( nurses immunisation bible).

[Gilnahirk]

Thanks CPtart. I phoned up and it's all sorted now and booked in for tomorrow. Nurse even mentioned the "green book" herself! Thanks again.

[pinkrose123]

My DS is having his on Thursday - no one rang back from the Drs in response to his query so he just made an appointment.

I do feel the NHS leaflet "Starting university? Protect yourself against meningitis and septicaemia" is misleading, it says "Will everyone need a vaccination now? No, anyone born before September 1995, who received the MenC vaccination at school, won’t need another one. If you’re 25 or under and can’t remember, check with your doctor before leaving for university or if you’ve already arrived at university, check with the health centre. If in doubt, there is no harm in having an extra dose".

If I'd just read the leaflet and not had the extremely helpful advice from here, I would have thought he didn't need it (born in October 1994 so before September 1995 and had the MenC vaccination at school in 2000 in his reception year aged 5 and a half) - so thank you all very much!

[Kez100]

I have just rung our surgery (daughter off to Uni on Saturday!) and been advised that she has to have it before she is 25. No urgency now.

[CPtart]

Kez - If her last men c vaccine was under the age of 10, or she has never had one, she DOES need it now. Two weeks before going to uni is ideal to allow antibodies to develop in time, but it is never too late- assuming she is going to be there for years! I would ring the surgery again and ask to speak to a nurse ( if you didn't before). Again, quote the "green book" chapter 22 p243.

[Kez100]

She has had all injections and boosters as advised by the NHS in the UK over the years. Most were under 10 but there have been others over - the ones I can recall are the HPC (sp?) one when she was about 12/13 and a booster/set of boosters.

I was put on to a nurse - which is worrying!

Thanks for the help.

[Kez100]

I have just checked the list of recommended immunisations and it includes:

Around 13-18 years •Td/IPV(polio) booster: Revaxis®.
•MenC (booster dose: NeisVac® or Menjugate Kit® - in a separate injection.


I see they are separate matters but if they can be given in the same appointment, I am pretty sure this is the set of boosters she had. I can remember it being polio booster and when we arrived she was told there were two things not one happening.

I will, indeed, ring and check again but if that is the case, is she likely to be covered?

[cricketballs]

I read the leaflet and DS called the surgery as the main aspect said to have the booster, but he was born in September 1994 and therefore fell into the paragraph stating he didn't need it. He called, they said it wouldn't hurt if he had a booster - been today and had it done

[CPtart]

HPC would probably be HPV (set of 3, cervical cancer jabs).
Revaxis is diptheria, tetanus and polio (one injection) also known as "school leavers" vaccine given around age 14, usually in school by school nurses. If she definitely had a men c booster too ( and I would insist they check what she had) at any time over the age of 10, then as current guidelines stand she wouldn't need any more at all in her lifetime. If none given after the age of 10 then she does.

[Kez100]

Thanks. The advice that she needs something before 25 doesn't fit either of those!! I will definitely check tomorrow as they have her record and we can only summise/rack brains.

[Kez100]

No one has anything administered in our secondary school (it only had a cohort of 580) but I definitely took both children down to the surgery following a letter arriving saying the booster/booster set was needed. I will pay them a visit tomorrow. Unfortunately, she is working all day tomorrow until 7 at night and, being 18, they probably won't tell me anything specific!

Grrrrr.

I am disappointed the Uni didn't send us details when we received the medical registration papers to complete.

[CPtart]

This freshens men c is aimed at students under 25 as it is this age group that is thought to have only had 1 dose of men c previously as children under earlier immunisation schedules. That is why it is called a "catch up" campaign. But yes, check with the surgery. If your DD sends a signed note authorising them to discuss info with you, this may help. Also, it may be useful at some point to obtain a list of her previous vaccinations and take them with her to uni.