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.
If you’ve missed a vaccination
If you’ve missed any of your vaccines, make sure you try and get it as soon as possible. To arrange a vaccine appointment, please contact your local NHS immunisation team and NOT the Practice.
All vaccines are given as an injection.
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:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
Most students will have had the HPV vaccine at school. If you missed it, you may still be able to get it up until you turn 25.
This only applies to:
- people who are currently eligible
- boys who became eligible from the 2019/2020 academic year
- girls under 25 who were eligible under routine and catch up HPV vaccine programmes introduced in 2008
If you’re from Scotland and have not yet had the HPV vaccine, you first need to register with a GP practice local to your new address.
If you’ve come to Scotland from another country and know that you haven’t had the HPV vaccine, contact your local NHS immunisation team.
Read more about the HPV vaccine
The HPV vaccine is available in Scotland for men who have sex with men (MSM) up to and including 45 years old.
Men who have sex with men are offered the vaccine because they’re known to have a higher risk of HPV infection. The HPV vaccine may be offered to MSM at sexual health and HIV clinics across Scotland.
Read more about the HPV vaccine for men who have sex with men
If you don’t know what vaccinations you’ve had
If you’re not sure if you’re up to date on all your vaccines, you can check your red book to see immunisations you’ve had. If you don’t have a red book, contact your GP to check your vaccination records. If they cannot help, you can try contacting your local NHS immunisation team.
Students coming to Scotland from another country
Before you arrive in Scotland, you should check you’re fully up-to-date with vaccinations.
After you arrive, you may be eligible for free vaccines that are not available in your home country. Contact your local NHS immunisation team to get any vaccines you may have missed.
Read more about healthcare for those coming from overseas, and registering with a GP practice
Student Health
NHS Inform is there to help you stay healthy at school or university. It has health information to help you look after your own health and wellbeing.
You can search for particular topics, or look up your symptoms to access self-help guides and advice.
These guides show you the next steps, such as who to call, or which service to go to, and how urgently. These guides are produced by the same clinical team who support the 111 phone service.
Read more about staying healthy while at college or university