Thirty-eight students have already been diagnosed with the disease.

University medical staff and local health teams are offering MMR vaccinations to all students and staff up to, and including, the age of 24.

Colleges most affected include Jesus, Emmanuel, Pembroke, St Catharine's, Peterhouse, Corpus Christi, Churchill and Trinity Hall.

The first year students were offered the opportunity to be vaccinated free of charge University spokesperson

The university is working with the Health Protection Agency and the local Primary Care Trust on the vaccination programme.

Dr Bernadette Nazareth, consultant in communicable disease control in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: "Symptoms include fever, headache, swelling and tenderness of the glands in the neck, running nose and eyes and sore throat and ears.

"Serious complications can occasionally occur" she warned.

Director of public health for Cambridge City Primary Care Trust Dr Dorothy Gregson said: "MMR is a safe, proven and effective vaccine. We are working to prevent the further spread of infection."

A spokesperson for the University of Cambridge, said: "The university published advice in the student handbook. We advised all students to check if they had been immunised, and if not, to arrange for immunisation through their GP.

"The first year students were offered the opportunity to be vaccinated free of charge, through their GP, once they arrived in the city."