World-first gonorrhoea vaccine programme set to be rolled out
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New 'groundbreaking' diabetes treatment trialled by NHS could delay insulin need
A revolutionary medication designed to slow the progression of type 1 diabetes is currently being tested by a small number of NHS patients across the UK. Teplizumab, which has already received approval in the United States, teaches the immune system to cease its assault on pancreatic cells, postponing the requirement for insulin by an average of three years. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system launches an attack on the insulin-producing cells within the pancreas, resulting in the loss of natural blood sugar regulation. When blood glucose levels become excessively high or dangerously low, it can lead to severe health complications and potentially prove fatal. Individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes consequently require daily insulin injections. READ MORE: NHS says 'contact your GP practice' if you notice symptom that 'could be cancer' READ MORE: Preeclampsia may reduce lifelong risk of multiple cancers up to 45%, new study finds Hannah Robinson, a 36-year-old dentist and mother of two from Devon, has become the first adult in the UK to trial the medication in hopes of delaying the onset of her condition. She is receiving care at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust following the discovery during her pregnancy that she was in the preliminary stages of developing type 1 diabetes. A small group of individuals are receiving the treatment on an individual assessment basis whilst it undergoes evaluation for broader NHS implementation. She explained: "For me, this new drug offers more freedom and the chance to focus on my health before I have to start thinking differently and managing life as somebody needing daily insulin. "This isn't just about what I eat or monitoring my glucose, it is also about having more control and not feeling defined by my condition. "This treatment could potentially pave the way for a future cure for type 1 diabetes, which is incredible. I feel very lucky to be part of this." Dr Nick Thomas, diabetes consultant and academic clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: "This new treatment represents a really exciting shift in how we manage type 1 diabetes. "For the first time ever, we will be able to provide targeted treatment early enough in the process to alter the underlying immune process, aiming to slow down how quickly people need insulin. "Approximately half of all type 1 diabetes cases develop in adulthood, and Hannah will be the first adult in the UK to receive this treatment. "My hope is that in the future, we may be able to stop people with early type 1 diabetes from needing insulin at all." Dr Lucy Chambers, head of research impact and communications at Diabetes UK, said: "For people in the early stages of type 1 diabetes, teplizumab offers a groundbreaking opportunity to buy them precious extra years insulin-free. "Right now, it's only available in research settings – and while the excitement is real, urgent work is still needed to ensure it reaches everyone who could benefit. "That means securing a UK licence for teplizumab, establishing national screening programmes to identify people with early-stage type 1 diabetes before symptoms appear, and preparing the NHS to deliver this treatment at scale. "Diabetes UK is proud to be at the forefront of these efforts – funding pioneering research and working closely with the NHS towards a future where immunotherapies become the first-line treatment for tackling the autoimmune attack at the root of type 1 diabetes." Professor Richard Oram, consultant physician at the Royal Devon and professor at the University of Exeter, commented: "Excitingly, teplizumab is the first drug with the potential to delay type 1 diabetes, but needs to be given before clinical diagnosis due to high blood glucose. "It is really important to find new and improved approaches for identifying individuals at elevated risk."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Abandon strikes or risk ‘fragile' NHS recovery, Streeting warns resident doctors
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called for resident doctors to 'abandon their unreasonable rush to strike' after warning NHS recovery is 'fragile'. It comes as new data shows the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has fallen for the second consecutive month to its lowest in more than two years. However, the number of patients facing the longest waits increased, according to NHS figures. An estimated 7.36 million treatments were waiting to be carried out in England at the end of May, relating to just under 6.23 million patients – down from 7.39 million treatments and just over 6.23 million patients at the end of April. These are the lowest figures since March 2023 for treatments and April 2023 for patients. The number of patients waiting more than 18 months to start routine treatment also fell to 1,237 in May from 1,361 in April. However, some 11,522 people were waiting more than 65 weeks to start treatment, up from 9,258 in the previous month. The number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks also increased for the second consecutive month – to 196,920, up from 190,068 at the end of April – after falling for 10 months in a row. Some 2.7% of people on the waiting list for hospital treatment had been waiting more than 52 weeks in May, up from 2.6% in April. The Government and NHS England have set a target of March 2026 for this figure to be reduced to less than 1%. Earlier this week, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – in England would walk out for five consecutive days from 7am on July 25. Mr Streeting said the recovery of the health service 'is only just beginning, and it is fragile'. 'It is only with NHS staff and the Government working together that we can rebuild our NHS so it is there for patients once again,' he said. 'That is why I am once again urging the BMA to abandon their unreasonable rush to strike and work with us to improve resident doctors' working lives instead.' Health chiefs also warned industrial action would jeopardise 'hard-won progress to cut waiting lists and efforts to see patients quicker'. Previous strikes by resident doctors have taken place 11 times since 2022, leading to almost 1.5 million appointments being cancelled or rescheduled. Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: 'These figures show NHS staff are working flat out to deliver more care to patients with waiting lists falling and tests, checks and treatments soaring despite record levels of demand. 'Trust leaders now face the bleak prospect of a full five-day walkout by resident doctors jeopardising this hard-won progress to cut waiting lists and efforts to see patients quicker. 'The focus now will be on planning to ensure services are as safe as possible for patients.' Elsewhere, data shows 75.5% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, up slightly from 75.4% in May. The Government and NHS England have set a target of March 2026 for 78% of patients attending A&E to be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours. The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments from a decision to admit to actually being admitted – so-called 'corridor care' – fell to 38,683 in June, down from 42,891 in May. The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission also fell, standing at 118,171 in June, down from 130,035 in May. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England's co-national medical director (secondary care), said: 'This continued recovery has been a national effort across the health service and it would – of course – be hugely disappointing if this progress were to stall this summer due to industrial action.' The latest monthly NHS performance figures come a month after the Government unveiled its 10-year plan, which will aim to shift more care from hospitals into the community, with a focus on better use of technology and sickness prevention. Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation, said: 'The NHS is not broken but it is in a critical condition, so the scale of the Government's ambitions are welcome and necessary. 'What we need to see now is concrete action to transform how care is delivered.' However, Danielle Jefferies, senior analyst at the King's Fund, said: 'The details in the Government's 10-year plan for health are too vague to assess what gradual improvements we will see in data for other important areas like how long we wait in A&E or for an ambulance if someone has a stroke, or for psychological treatments. 'In the coming months and years, the Government will need to be honest with the public over what trade-offs we should expect in the care we receive as it sets about delivering on its planned reforms. 'Potential forthcoming industrial action can also impact patient care across a wide range of services, affecting how long patients wait and our mental and physical health.' Sarah Scobie, deputy director of research at Nuffield Trust, welcomed progress on waiting lists, but said 'there is an incredibly long way to go' to meet the 18-week target. She added: 'Another round of resident doctor strikes this summer will inevitably have an impact on patients waiting for treatment and it will be harder for the Government to make headway on its 10-year plan for health while this dispute is rumbling on.'
Bloomberg
3 hours ago
- Bloomberg
An HPV Test Women Can Wear at Home
Hi, it's Amber in Hong Kong, where less than half of eligible women get their recommended cervical cancer screening. If only the procedure was less unpleasant … As someone who has reported on cancer research for some years, I've long known that cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, thanks to vaccination and early screening. Yet, I must confess I've never received a screening for HPV, the human papillomavirus that's the primary cause of cervical cancer. The thought of a Pap smear makes me squirm.
