World-first gonorrhoea vaccine rolled out by NHS today to tackle surging STI levels – are you eligible?

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

The jab rollout comes as gonorrhoea diagnoses reach their highest levels since records began
MAJOR STEP World-first gonorrhoea vaccine rolled out by NHS today to tackle surging STI levels – are you eligible?
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THE world's first gonorrhoea vaccine programme is being rolled out in England today by the NHS, in the hope of curbing surging levels of the STI.
Health chiefs reckon the scheme could prevent up to 100,000 cases of the disease.
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The vaccine will be available for free at sexual health clinics in England
Credit: PA
The jab will be available free of charge at local sexual health clinics to people deemed at highest risk of catching gonorrhoea.
This includes gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners and a bacterial STI in the previous 12 months.
Patients will receive an existing jab - the 4CMenB vaccine for meningitis B - which has been found to nearly halve the chances of catching gonorrhoea in adults.
The jab is already routinely given to babies to protect them from MenB, but its protection wears off as they grow up.
Vaccination could also head off growing concerns about superbug versions of the infection, which are resistant to antibiotics.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS national director for primary care and community services, said: "This vaccine is already used to protect against Men B and is proven to be effective against gonorrhoea, preventing the spread of infection and reducing the rising rates of antibiotic-resistant strains."
Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton added: "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.
"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."
Patients getting the gonorrhoea vaccine will also be offered jabs for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B at their appointment.
What is Gonorrhoea
The programme rollout comes as gonorrhoea diagnoses reach their highest levels since records began in 1918.
In 2023, a record 85,000 cases of the disease were reported in England — three times higher than in 2012.
There's also been a concerning rise in "extensively drug resistant" gonorrhoea cases, sparking fear the STI could soon become "untreatable".
Gonorrhoea is usually treated with a single dose of the antibiotic ceftriaxone, given as an injection or tablets at GP surgeries or a sexual health clinics.
Who will be elligible for the jab?
NHS England said clinics will target the highest risk people for its gonorrhoea vaccine campaign.
From August vaccines will be offered to: Gay or bisexual men who have recently had multiple sexual partners
Gay or bisexual men who have recently been diagnosed with an STI
Transgender women or non-binary people who were born male
Clinics may use their discretion to offer to sex workers or anyone who has recently had a bacterial STI
Data from 2023 show that 40,586 out of England's total 85,223 gonorrhoea cases were among men who had sex with men, making them the highest risk group.
A further 15,000 were among heterosexual men and 22,000 were among women.
But in some cases this isn't effective, as the bacteria has developed the ability to survive and multiply even when exposed to the antibiotic.
Since first being detected in England in 2015, 42 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea have been reported.
Fifteen of these cases were extensively drug-resistant.
"Although numbers remain low, cases are being detected more frequently," the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) previously said.
Consultant epidemiologist UKHSA, Dr Sema Mandal called the gonorrhoea jab programme "hugely welcome".
"We're currently seeing very concerning numbers of gonorrhoea, including even more worryingly antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea," she said.
"The vaccine will give much needed protection to those that need it most - making the UK a world leader in the fight against gonorrhoea.
"And it's excellent to see that at the same time other important vaccines will continue to be offered in sexual health services to those eligible, protecting against mpox, hepatitis A and B, and HPV.
"Sexually transmitted infections aren't just an inconvenience – they can have a major impact on your health and your sexual partners, so if offered I strongly urge you to get these jabs, you'll be protecting yourself as well as others. Don't put it off and regret it later."
Along with protecting thousands of people from the STI, health chiefs say the scheme will save the NHS more than £7.9 million over the next decade.
Gonorrhoea is an STI that's passed on through unprotected sex.
Many people do not have any symptoms but if it is left untreated it can spread and lead to infertility.
Getting the STI during pregnancy can increase your risk of premature birth and your baby having a low birth weight.
There's also a risk the infection could spread to your baby's eyes during birth, which causes blindness if it's not treated with antibiotics.