Ahead of the new academic year, university students are being urged to check they have their childhood and adolescent vaccines for meningitis, measles and HPV.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) South West is encouraging students, including freshers and returnees, to make sure they are up to date their free NHS vaccines.

Universities and higher education establishments are often hot spots for various infectious diseases due to lots of people newly coming together in confined environments and close mixing.

Meningitis and septicaemia can both be fatal or cause life-changing disabilities.

The MenACWY vaccine, offered to all students in England during school Year 9 or 10, provides protection against four kinds of meningococcal bacteria causing these diseases.

It is available to anyone who missed the vaccine up to their 25th birthday.

While the vaccine provides protection against four forms of the meningococcal disease, it does not cover all, like MenB.

Therefore, it is important to know how to spot the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia as early detection and treatment can prove to be lifesaving.

Symptoms include a high temperature, cold hands and feet, vomiting, confusion, breathing quickly, muscle and joint pain, headaches and a stiff neck.

The MMR vaccine is the safest and most effective way to protect against measles, mumps and rubella.

Young children are offered two doses of the vaccine and the UKHSA has urged people to check they had both when they were younger.

It is possible for anyone, whatever their age, to catch up on missed MMR jabs.

The HPV vaccine, given to boys and girls aged 12-13, defends against certain cancers and genital warts.

The advice for students who have missed their vaccines is to organise for the jab with their GP practice as soon as possible.

If that is not possible, vaccination should be taken up as soon as they start university, the UKHSA said.

Dr Alasdair Wood, consultant in health protection for UKHSA South West, said: "We usually see increases in cases of meningococcal meningitis after the university term starts in September.

"New and returning students from around the country and overseas coming together and mixing means infection spreads easily, with some students becoming seriously ill and tragically in some cases, we see deaths.

"I urge young people starting or returning to university to check they’re up to date on their MenACWY, HPV and MMR jabs and to contact their GP if unsure."