England Launches World-First Gonorrhoea Vaccine Programme Amid Record Cases

England is set to become the first country worldwide to implement a routine vaccination program against gonorrhoea, targeting primarily gay and bisexual men with recent histories of multiple sexual partners or bacterial STIs, in response to a record surge in cases and rising antibiotic resistance. The vaccine, 4CMenB, originally developed for meningococcal B disease, offers about 30-42% protection against gonorrhoea due to genetic similarities between the bacteria, and its rollout, starting in August, aims to reduce infections and slow the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains. This initiative is hailed as a significant public health advancement, potentially preventing up to 100,000 cases over ten years and saving the NHS millions of pounds amid substantial sexual health service funding cuts. Patients receiving the gonorrhoea vaccine will also be offered immunizations for mpox, HPV, and hepatitis A and B during the same clinic visits, reflecting an integrated approach to sexual health. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is considering adopting a similar vaccination strategy as gonorrhoea cases there have also sharply increased, with the infection now being the most prevalent STI diagnosed in its sexual health clinics. Experts emphasize the urgency of vaccination given gonorrhoea’s often asymptomatic presentation, its serious complications if untreated, and the challenge posed by antimicrobial resistance.