COVID-19 Vaccine
Every university student can book for their Covid-19 vaccination. If you are registered with a GP you can book your Covid vaccine appointments at a location that is convenient to you. Booking is quicker if you have your NHS number to hand. If you don’t know your NHS number, you can access it through the ‘Find NHS Number'. A walk in vaccination centre is available at Mile End campus.
International students in England can receive the Covid-19 vaccine for free. If a person has received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine overseas that is also available in the UK, they should receive the same vaccine for their second dose. If the vaccine they received for their first dose is not available in the UK, the student should contact their GP. International students can approach a GP, saying they would like to register for the purposes of receiving the vaccine. More information about registering with a GP is available below.
If you have any questions about the vaccination programme, please contact studenthealth@qmul.ac.uk.
Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) and meningitis vaccination advice
Public Health England is advising for both new and current students to make sure they are up to date with their MMR and MenACWY vaccines before they come to university.
What you need to know about MMR
The best way to protect yourself against measles is to have two doses of the MMR vaccine.
- MMR is a combined vaccine that protects against 3 separate illnesses – measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) – in a single injection.
- It is never too late to get the vaccine.
- There are no risks to your health if you get an extra dose.
- We advise you to check if you have had two doses of the MMR vaccine with your GP before arriving at university and to arrange a catch up if necessary.
What you need to know about MenACWY
Although there is no cause for alarm, Public Health England is also advising all new university entrants up to the age of 25, across the country, to be vaccinated with the Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine before starting their course.
- Teenagers and young adults up to the age of 25 are at higher risk from the disease, particularly those coming to university for the first time.
- Even if you have already had the MenC vaccine, you should have the MenACWY vaccine.
- The vaccine is available free in the UK for students up to the age of 25, including international students.
Further information about MMR, meningitis, how to get the vaccinations, access to healthcare and other useful health-related information can be found on our Student Health website.
Healthcare at university
Queen Mary has a free Student Health Service available on campus. Here’s what you need to know:
- It's located in the Geography Building on the Campus Map - Mile End [PDF 945KB] (no. 28 on map).
- The Student Health Service is provided by an independent contractor to NHS England.
- Registrations for the Student Health Service can take place online, for all students living in inner London, unless for clinical reasons.
- If you cannot register with the Student Health service for clinical reasons or as you live outside inner London, or if it's more convenient to register with a doctor close to where you live, you can find a list of local doctors through the NHS website.
Further information about accessing healthcare in UK while studying (for UK, International and EU/EEA/SWISS students) can be found on our Student Health website.
Stay in the loop
We work on campaigns and events with local health organisations, like Barts Health NHS Trust, Positive East and Step Forward. Our aim is to keep improving students’ physical and mental health. You can find out more by visiting the Student Health website or via our Twitter account.
Keep an eye out for our events during Welcome Week, revision and exam periods. We’re always here to help!