The NHS is rolling out nationwide vaccines for those affected by gonorrhoea, as part of a world-first programme. From Monday 4 August, sexual health clinics in England will start offering a free vaccine to patients at highest risk of the sexually transmitted infection (STI), which the NHS predicts will help prevent 100,000 cases, saving £7.9m over the next decade as a result.
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection transmitted through unprotected sex, with symptoms including pain, unusual discharge, genital inflammation and infertility, though some people can carry the infection without any reactions. Doctors initially developed the vaccine, 4CMenB, for preventing meningitis B in babies, but it has since proved effective against gonorrhoea due to the similarities in the infections.
This vaccine roll-out follows England recording 85,000 cases of gonorrhoea in 2023, which is the highest in a single year since records began a century ago, and three times higher than in 2012. The programme is part of the government's focus on averting pressure on the NHS by shifting from sickness to prevention.
'Rolling out this world-leading gonorrhoea vaccination programme in sexual health clinics in England represents a major breakthrough in preventing an infection that has reached record levels,' Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said. 'This government’s world-first vaccination programme will help turn the tide on infections, as well as tackling head-on the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. I strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to come forward for vaccination, to protect not only yourselves but also your sexual partners.'
The NHS expects the 4CMenB vaccine to be available in sexual health clinics in every region in England by 4 September, 2025. Patients attending clinics for the gonorrhoea vaccine will also be offered mpox, hepatitis A and B and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations.
