Step UP Vax Up
Step Up Vax Up is an awareness campaign that highlights the importance of vaccines for college students and young adults. For all adults, including young and healthy people, vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from preventable diseases. Vaccines can protect against numerous viral diseases, including the flu, HPV, and MPox. Young adults and college students may be more at risk for these infections due to living in close quarters and sexual activity.
Get the facts below and get vaccinated today! Visit your campus health center, local pharmacy, or physician. You can also visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccine location near you.
Click on a topic below to learn more.
HPV (human papillomavirus)
HPV is a common virus that is spread through sexual contact. HPV is preventable. Vaccination can protect against diseases caused by HPV, including cervical cancer and genital warts.
HPV Facts:
- HPV causes around 36,000 cases of cancer each year in the United States, including cervical cancer.
- HPV vaccination can prevent 90% of these cancers and the infections that cause them.
- HPV vaccination protects you for 10+ years with no evidence of the protection decreasing over time.
Vaccine Recommendations:
- The HPV vaccine is recommended for routine vaccination at age 11 or 12 years. (Vaccination can begin at age 9.)
- Vaccination is also recommended for everyone through age 26 years if not adequately vaccinated when younger.
- HPV vaccination is given as a series of either two or three doses, depending on age at initial vaccination.
Keep in mind that HPV vaccination prevents new HPV infections but does not treat existing HPV infections or diseases. HPV vaccine works best when given before any exposure to HPV.
Learn more:
Mpox
Mpox is a viral disease related to smallpox that often causes a skin rash or lesions.
MPox can be transmitted by close or intimate contact – including kissing, touching, and other sexual activity – with a person infected by mpox. MPox can also be spread by direct contact with an infected animal or contaminated objects like clothing or bedding used by an infected person.
Mpox Facts:
- People with mpox often get a rash and may have other symptoms like fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes.
- Symptoms usually start within 21 days of exposure.
- Visit a healthcare provider if you have a new or unexplained rash, especially after contact with someone who has mpox.
Vaccine Recommendations:
- You’ve come in close contact with someone who has mpox.
- You had a sex partner in the past 2 weeks who was diagnosed with mpox.
- You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men, or a person who has sex with gay, bisexual, or other MSM who, in the past six months, had a new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted diseases or more than one sex partner.
- You’ve had multiple sexual partners in the past 2 weeks in an area with an mpox outbreak.
- You are at risk for occupational exposure to orthopoxviruses (e.g., certain people who work in a laboratory or a healthcare facility).
Getting vaccinated with two doses can prevent MPox and reduce the severity of the illness if exposed. Contact your healthcare provider to determine if the mpox vaccine is right for you.
Learn more about MPox vaccinations from the New Jersey Department of Health.
Additional Resources
View these resources to learn more about vaccination risk and where to get vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is the source for the medical information provided in this campaign, and the links can be viewed below.
- HPV Content – About Genital HPV Infection
- MPox Content – MPox – Vaccines and MPox – HCP – Vaccine Considerations
