School and university starters could be at risk as immunity drops below WHO recommended levels

Experts have expressed worries over a ‘perfect storm’ of potential infections

Serious infections and diseases could be mistaken for ‘fresher’s flu' (iStock)

As students start new terms at school and university across the country, the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says England no longer has the levels of population immunity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent disease outbreaks.

This has sparked concern for the welfare of freshers and school children and experts have expressed worries over a “perfect storm” of potential infections within the country’s student population which could lead to serious long-term health issues.

Leading testing expert, Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), clinical lead at London Medical Laboratory, explains that “as many young people start university or school, Britain’s falling vaccination uptake levels are causing concern. Over the past 10 years, uptake for childhood vaccinations in England has been falling across all vaccines, including those that protect against whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria”.

Dr Narayanan says that parents and peers should be on the lookout for measles and meningitis symptoms in particular. “It’s particularly concerning, as cases of so-called ‘freshers’ flu’ (usually caused by assorted bugs that spread quickly through the student population in the first weeks of term) can be confused with symptoms of meningitis in its early stages,” he says. “Like freshers’ flu, meningitis is initially difficult to distinguish from a bad hangover or common, milder illnesses. This can also be the case with the early stages of measles or mumps.”

Several factors have impacted the general immunity of younger generations, including vaccination scares, Covid lockdowns halting school inoculation schedules and a fall in preschool vaccinations. Many children and young adults are currently entering school or university for the first time without having received potentially life-saving inoculations.

“Many students who were aged around 15 in 2021 may have missed out on key jabs because of school closures during lockdowns. This age group is now starting university and the latest MenACWY coverage data shows the vaccination rate has now fallen to 79.6 per cent,” explains Dr Narayanan.

The UK Government’s advice is: “If you are older and starting university for the first time, make sure you have had your vaccine before you enrol.”

Parents and students might also benefit from learning about the symptoms of diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria. It could also be worth checking the health of your family and friendship group with at-home health tests or in-clinic general health and immunity testing, and ensuring that you follow a healthy balanced diet rich in nutrients and essential vitamins and minerals.

“For anyone concerned, a general health test will provide reassurance that they are in good overall health. This can help fight new viruses and boost overall fitness levels. The healthier a person is, the better their response to a serious condition can be,” says Dr Narayanan.

The start of the school year always presents an opportunity for bugs and viruses to thrive, however, with immunity at a worryingly low level, this year, the threat of infection and disease is higher and more serious than before.

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