All first-year students taking up places in British universities and colleges are to be encouraged to seek immunisation against meningitis, before the start of term.
Last year almost 3,000 students from the Republic accepted third-level places in the British system. There are currently 15,000 students from the Republic studying at graduate and undergraduate levels in Britain.
In 1997, three first-year students at the University of Southampton died after contracting meningitis just two weeks into their first term, and three others became seriously ill. A spokesman for Britain's Health Education Authority has confirmed to The Irish Times that it is working on a programme to encourage all first-year students to ensure they are vaccinated against the disease before starting college.
Some 2,000 cases of meningitis and septicaemia were reported in Britain last year. In the Republic, reported cases doubled between 1994 and 1998, from 241 to 487 last year. In 1998, 22 victims died here. Young people leaving home for the first time are particularly vulnerable. The disease is transmitted through close contact with other people, through sneezing, coughing or kissing, for example.
"There have been a number of cases of meningitis among first-years, particularly those living in halls of residence," according to the British Department of Health.
The meningitis vaccine covers only strains A and C. There is no vaccine for the group B strain, which accounts for more than half the deaths in Britain from meningitis.
The British authorities are advising students who have received the vaccine to remain vigilant. A major concern is that the symptoms are often similar to those of a hangover or influenza.
According to Dr Darina O'Flanagan, director of the National Disease Surveillance Centre, students attending college in Britain for the first time should follow the advice of the British authorities.
The Meningitis Research Foundation has published a fact sheet. It can be contacted on its helpline (01) 496-9665.