UK-bound Manx students to be offered meningitis jabs

Manx students heading to university in the UK this autumn will be offered meningitis B vaccines before starting their courses.

The time-limited programme will see the two-dose MenB jabs offered to eligible Year 13 students and under-25s entering university or residential further education in September.

The government said the roll-out was expected to start in July and would be offered to more than 700 Isle of Man students.

It follows outbreaks of the potentially deadly virus in several parts of the UK earlier this year which prompted a similar roll-out.

Hundreds of Manx students take up courses at universities in the UK each year.

Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford said the vaccine roll-out was "a precautionary measure rather than directly addressing an increase" seen either on the island itself or among Manx students.

Ashford told MHKs: "Because of the limited outbreak in the UK, the UK has decided to roll this out to those starting this summer.

"We have decided to take a similar approach on island."

However, he said the on-island programme "doesn't mean that Isle of Man students can't access the UK route for the vaccination as well".

To reach full immunity, students need to receive two vaccinations at least four weeks apart.

"We also want to use this as an opportunity to remind students that meningitis B is not the only vaccine-preventable infection relevant to university life," Ashford said.

"Students should check that they are up to date with their wider routine vaccinations including meningitis ICWY, measles, mumps and rubella, and human papillomavirus before they travel."

Details of how eligible students can book appointments to get the jab will be confirmed by Manx Care once the start date for the programme has been confirmed.

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