‘World-first’ gonorrhoea vaccine programme approved for England amid record number of cases

A vaccine programme for gonorrhoea is being rolled out across England from August amid a record number of cases and increasing antibiotic resistant strains of the bacteria.

The aim is to tackle rising levels of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) which reached 85,000 diagnoses in England in 2023, the highest since records began in 1918 and three times more than in 2012.

NHS England said eligible patients, including some gay and bisexual men, will start to be offered the vaccine from early August.

The government accepted the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which had recommended an NHS roll out.

The jab is based on an existing vaccine, 4CMenB, used to protect against meningococcal B disease.

However it is between 32.7 to 42% effective against gonorrhoea, which means it will not completely eliminate the potential to get the disease.

Analysis led by Imperial College London suggests the jab could prevent up to 100,000 cases of gonorrhoea and save the NHS more than £7.9m over the next decade, depending on the uptake.

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STI in the UK, according to NHS England and is passed on through sex.

Not everyone gets symptoms, but they can include a burning pain when you urinate, fluid or discharge coming out of your genitals and pain in your testicles or lower abdomen in women.

It can also affect other parts of the body, including the throat and eyes.

NHS England’s national director for primary care and community services Dr Amanda Doyle, described the vaccine programme as a “huge step forward for sexual health”.

Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton said the scheme “could not come at a more critical time” because of “gonorrhoea diagnoses at record levels”.

“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,” he added.

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), described the programme as “a landmark moment for sexual health in England” while Richard Angell, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, called the jab a “game changer”.

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

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