SENDING your child off to university is a rollercoaster of emotions. You are likely racked with worries. But as you pack them off with enough tinned food to feed a small army , take a moment to give them a few nuggets of information that could prove life-saving.
Mingling in Freshers Week provides the perfect breeding ground for bugs to spread, typically branded “freshers’ flu” as students suffer symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing, sore throat, feeling tired and generally run down. But, in rare cases, it could be something far more sinister, the UK Health Security Agency has warned. Here, Melanie King, senior pharmacist at Pharmacy2U, explains what you should make your kids aware of.
Measles WHERE once the UK was declared measles-free, that status has now been stripped away. READ MORE ON FRESHER'S FLU To be “ measles -free”, MMR vaccination rates must hit at least 94 per cent, but in March 2024, only 85 per cent of five-year-olds had received both jabs. This means the virus is spreading and poses a threat to anyone who is not double-jabbed, with almost 2,500 cases of the highly infectious disease confirmed this year.
The MMR jab covers measles as well as mumps and rubella. Melanie tells Sun Health: “While the MMR jab can be given at any age, most UK students will have already had two doses. “If they have only had one dose it is worth booking a doctor’s appointment to get them vaccinated before they go off to university.
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