Can I not get vaccinated, or do they check?

No hate here please, but I have read that before going to uni this september I must ( they said that in writing) get a meningitis vaccine. For several reasons I do not want to do this, and I am according to my GP in perfect health, having not been vaccinated at all. I have never had any issues with illness, and no, I do not live in a bubble. Will the university check that I have had the vaccine or is it something they say but don’t enforce?
This is really worrying me.

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

if it says you need the vaccine presumably you need the vaccine?

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by Anonymous

if it says you need the vaccine presumably you need the vaccine?

Yes, the point being I don’t want it. What i’m saying is, is it 100% mandatory in a court of law type situation. Because I really don’t want it, I know someone who had it and they actually got the disease anyways.

Reply 3

princetonalec

17

I will say if vaccination is your right to avoid then the university has a right to not admit you for not following their rules, considering how many immunodeficient persons may be at the uni, and how you don't need to show symptoms to carry an illness.
I'd suggest being honest with them about not being vaccinated, the other students have a right to know.

Reply 4

Anonymous #3

Meningitis can kill within two days of getting it it's really irresponsible not to get vaccinated and if you do get anything from a vaccine it's a toned down version of the real thing get up to date on everything, you wouldn't get in a car knowing it's got poor brakes then go 100 MPH with no seat belt don't risk the life of yourself and others

Reply 5

Anonymous #2

Original post by Anonymous

Yes, the point being I don’t want it. What i’m saying is, is it 100% mandatory in a court of law type situation. Because I really don’t want it, I know someone who had it and they actually got the disease anyways.

fairs if you don’t want it, but fairs if the uni won’t let you in if you don’t have it. just let them know you don’t want it and take it from there. no harm in getting it done though?

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by princetonalec

I will say if vaccination is your right to avoid then the university has a right to not admit you for not following their rules, considering how many immunodeficient persons may be at the uni, and how you don't need to show symptoms to carry an illness.
I'd suggest being honest with them about not being vaccinated, the other students have a right to know.

it’s 100 percent certain I do not carry this illness, and my doctor actually says that the research into this vaccine isn’t conclusive at all, with so relatively few cases being reported with no evidence being inoculated actually helps. so I will be truthful with the uni about that, so be it.

Reply 7

Fear-of-failure

15

I would recommend the vaccine. I know I cannot change your mind easily and you will have your reasons but my mother and father and other people I know have known people who have died at uni by contracting meningitis. It’s because everyone lives in close quarters at uni and it’s easy to get it and lots of people die from it. Even if everyone else is vaccinated they will carry the bacteria on themselves and you can contract it. Please get the vaccine. I had it about 2 weeks ago and I’m fine. It took over 30 minutes to actually get the needle in my arm because I have a severe phobia but I still did it.

Reply 8

princetonalec

17

Original post by Anonymous

it’s 100 percent certain I do not carry this illness, and my doctor actually says that the research into this vaccine isn’t conclusive at all, with so relatively few cases being reported with no evidence being inoculated actually helps. so I will be truthful with the uni about that, so be it.

But it's not 100%, because unfortunately nothing about the body is 100%.You coukd have zero heart issues but its still not a 100% chance you won't have a heart attack darling.
Also the vaccine has been tested within labs to ensure its effectiveness through multiple trials. They're not just sucking meningitis juice out of a corpse and sticking it into anyone they can find, the medical trials for vaccines can sometimes take up to 5 years, and they aren't just randomly implimented without some scientific evidence that they help. Darling you've been lied to.
If you don't wanna get it? Fine. But like I said, other students have a right to know.

Reply 9

tubphonecase

13

Why don't you want it?
You are putting other people at risk by not getting it.

Reply 10

SnowMiku

17

Original post by Anonymous

No hate here please, but I have read that before going to uni this september I must ( they said that in writing) get a meningitis vaccine. For several reasons I do not want to do this, and I am according to my GP in perfect health, having not been vaccinated at all. I have never had any issues with illness, and no, I do not live in a bubble. Will the university check that I have had the vaccine or is it something they say but don’t enforce?
This is really worrying me.

I would still strongly advise you get the vaccine (scratch that, all of them) , seeing as they probably do enforce it to stop outbreaks, because even though you're in good health, there are many immuno-compromised people out there who could die if they caught it, and herd immunity stops it. Immunisation is a matter for the community and there are several reputable sources, ergo https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

Even if they don't police it, which is highly unlikely, they might not accept you if you tell them.

"Omg how is that possible?" @Melanie.5
Vaccines don't stop you getting the diseases entirely, but they create antibodies that, once you catch said disease, can very quickly destroy it, potentially before even the smallest symptom.

Reply 11

Fear-of-failure

15

Lying on an official document is illegal I think.

Reply 12

londonmyst

19

Are you a medical student?
Most universities recommend that students are up to date on six vaccines.
But only ask for evidence for medical and healthcare students with mandatory hospital placements.

I haven't had the meningitis or hvp vaccines, my parents are anti-vaxxers.
Only one I've ever had is for polio.

Reply 13

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by Fear-of-failure

Lying on an official document is illegal I think.

Nobody is lying on an official document. Not my style at all, all I asked if if they sit you down at a desk and point blank say where’s your docs note. That’s all. It’s possible I will end up getting it , I just never get things injected in my arm until I know exactly what it is , and if it has bad side effects.

Reply 14

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by londonmyst

Are you a medical student?
Most universities recommend that students are up to date on six vaccines.
But only ask for evidence for medical and healthcare students with mandatory hospital placements.

I haven't had the meningitis or hvp vaccines, my parents are anti-vaxxers.
Only one I've ever had is for polio.

No i’m definitely not a medical student! my parents , while not antivaxx, are not keen on some vaccines, they are doctors.

Reply 15

nintysixthousand

18

it doesnt matter if your totally healthy, you could carry the illness and pass it onto others, maybe people who have compromised immune systems or people who work with elderly folk who naturally have lower immune systems, or maybe students who have or work with children. The only reason we dont need to worry about these diseases is because of vaccines, its simple cause and effect. get vaccinated.

Reply 16

PotatoFruit

17

I don’t get why you made the argument that you are in perfect health. Vaccinations do not cure people, they prevent people from getting disease in the future. Like you learn it in gcse

Reply 17

username3434964

21

You can't just say "oh I've been fine all these years, why bother now?".

A) Just because you haven't been seriously ill before, doesn't mean you will never be ill.
b) There are immunocompromised people who you are putting at risk (i.e. people undergoing some cancer treatments, older people, etc)

Reply 18

Anonymous #4

You could potentially be responsible for someone's death by not getting the vaccine, not just your own, but young children and babies, older people, anyone with any kind of immunocomprimising disease, people who literally can't get vaccinated because they're allergic.
The reason unis ask you to get it is because the chances of getting it are increased when you go to uni because you are surrounded by loads of new people-lots of germs mixing and then there's people like I mentioned above, who are at further risk.
You should really consider getting it, I think it's arguably quite selfish not to when you're healthy enough to get it without high risk of any particularly threatening reactions.