This August, England will become the first country in the world to offer a vaccine against gonorrhoea. This is a major milestone as STI (sexually transmitted infection) rates reach record highs.
The vaccine won’t be available to everyone. The focus is mainly on gay and bisexual men with multiple partners or a recent STI. NHS England hopes it will slow infection rates and ease clinic pressures. With over 85,000 UK cases in 2023 alone, action is urgent.
Though only 30–40% effective, modelling by Imperial College London suggests it could prevent 100,000 infections and save the NHS £8 million over 10 years if uptake is good.
The vaccine itself is not new; it’s actually the meningitis B vaccine (MenB) currently given to babies. But because the meningitis and gonorrhoea bacteria are so closely related, the jab seems to reduce gonorrhoea risk by a third.
Another reason for urgency is that gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. It’s happening with current treatments too, which is why some doctors warn that gonorrhoea could one day become untreatable.
The best way to deal with a drug-resistant infection? Don’t catch it in the first place.
While it doesn’t replace condoms or STI testing, experts say it’s a vital tool against drug-resistant strains. Clinics will offer the vaccines for HPV, mpox, and hepatitis in the same appointment.
Dr Amanda Doyle of 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 resistant strains of the bacteria.”
Scotland is planning a similar rollout while Northern Ireland and Wales are still reviewing.
Though it’s unclear how long immunity will last, and boosters may be needed, campaigners have hailed this as a major win.
Summary
NHS England is launching the first-ever gonorrhoea vaccine campaign. It’s not perfect but it could reduce the number of cases.
