Health authorities in England have announced the world’s first routine vaccine programme for gonorrhoea, responding to a surge in cases and rising antibiotic resistance. In 2023, gonorrhoea cases in England reached over 85,000—the highest since records began in 1918.
The National Health Service (NHS) will roll out the vaccine 4CMenB, originally used to protect against meningococcal B disease, to individuals most at risk—primarily gay and bisexual men with recent histories of multiple sexual partners or bacterial STIs. Experts estimate the vaccine could prevent up to 40% of new gonorrhoea cases.
NHS officials and sexual health advocates have praised the initiative as a “game changer” and a crucial step toward curbing infection rates and combating drug-resistant strains. Patients will also be offered vaccines for mpox, HPV, and hepatitis A and B during their appointments.
The move comes amid a broader resurgence of STIs in the UK, including a sharp rise in syphilis cases, which reached a 75-year high in 2023.
