World first gonorrhoea vaccine programme set to be rolled out

A vaccine for gonorrhoea will be rolled out in England as part of a world-first programme, officials have announced.

The move, hailed as a “landmark moment for sexual health”, will aim to tackle rising levels of the sexually transmitted infection (STI).

It comes after the number of gonorrhoea cases in England topped 85,000 in 2023, the highest since records began in 1918, with warnings over some strains being resistant to antibiotics.

Gay and bisexual men with a recent history of multiple sexual partners or a bacterial STI will be eligible under the new programme, NHS officials said.

According to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), gonorrhoea disproportionately impacts specific communities, such as deprived areas, people of black Caribbean ethnicity, and gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

Diagnoses are highest among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, the JCVI said.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there was a 9.4% increase in gonorrhoea diagnoses among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in 2023, with cases rising from 37,095 to 40,586.

The vaccine is an existing jab, known as 4CMenB, that is currently used to protect people against the meningococcal B disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and sepsis.

It is used in the routine childhood programme and given to babies at eight weeks, 16 weeks and one year.

Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: “The launch of a world-first routine vaccination for gonorrhoea is a huge step forward for sexual health and will be crucial in protecting individuals, helping to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the rising rates of antibiotic resistance strains of the bacteria.”

Eligible patients will be identified and contacted in the coming weeks, with the jab offered through local authority-commissioned sexual health services from August 1.

And while at the appointment, patients will also be offered jabs for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B.

Dr Doyle added: “NHS teams across the country are now working hard to plan the rollout and ensure we hit the ground running, while the routine mpox vaccination programme builds on the vital progress the NHS has made in recent months in reaching as many eligible people as possible.”

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STI in the UK.

Symptoms can include green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating and pain and discomfort in the rectum.

For women, symptoms can include lower abdominal pain or bleeding between periods.

However, many people do not have symptoms.

The jab contains proteins from neisseria meningitidis – the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease – which is closely genetically related with neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that causes gonorrhoea.

The JCVI said studies suggest the 4CMenB vaccine has between 32.7 to 42% effectiveness against gonorrhoea, and while vaccination would slash the risk of becoming infected it would not eliminate it completely.

However, it stressed that vaccination would be beneficial, as previous gonorrhoea infection is thought to offer little protection against future infections.

The programme comes amid warnings that cases of gonorrhoea that are resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone – usually the first line of treatment – are on the rise in England.

This means the bacteria that causes the STI has developed the ability to survive and multiply even when exposed to the antibiotic.

Some cases are also classed as “extensively drug resistant” – or XDR – meaning the infection did not respond to ceftriaxone or the second line of treatment.

In March, UKHSA revealed there were 17 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea between January 2024 and March 2025.

In the same period, there were nine XDR cases reported, compared to five cases between 2022 and 2023.

Dr Sema Mandal, consultant epidemiologist and deputy director at UKHSA, said: “This vaccination programme is a hugely welcome intervention at a time when we’re seeing very concerning levels of gonorrhoea, including antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea.

“In 2023 we saw gonorrhoea diagnoses reach their highest since records began in 1918.

“Not only will this roll-out provide much needed protection to those that need it most, but it will make the UK the first country in the world to offer this protection and a world leader in protecting people against gonorrhoea.”

Health minister Ashley Dalton urged people to take up the vaccine offer “not only keep each other safe but help tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance”.

She added: “By targeting those most at risk, we can reduce transmission rates from this unpleasant disease that is becoming harder to treat and prevent thousands of cases over the next few years.”

Richard Angell, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, described the jab as a “game changer”.

“This alone could cut 40% of new gonorrhoea cases,” he said.

It comes after 12 new mpox vaccination sites opened across England in February, meaning every area in the country can now offer jabs to those at a higher risk of getting the virus.

Previously, vaccines were only available to eligible people at 19 sites across London, Brighton in East Sussex, and Manchester.

Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), said: “This is excellent news and a landmark moment for sexual health in England.

“A new gonorrhoea vaccination programme – alongside continued rollout of mpox vaccination – forms a vital part of our efforts to address the significant inequalities we are seeing in sexual health outcomes.”

Published: 21/05/2025 by Radio NewsHubClick here to read this story in full at Radio News Hub