NHS England to roll out world's first vaccine to prevent gonorrhoea

National Health Service (NHS) England announced the decision to start offering vaccines to prevent gonorrhoea from early August. 

The vaccine which will be offered through local authority-commissioned sexual health services could protect individuals from gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), by up to 40 per cent. 

“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 resistant strains of the bacteria," said Dr. Amanda Doyle, NHS England’s National Director for Primary Care and Community Services.

The decision to roll out the vaccine was taken after the government accepted the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) advice amid a record high 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses in England in 2023. 

4CMenBn the existing vaccine for meningococcal B disease, was analysed by Imperial College London. As per the analysis, the vaccine could avert up to 100,000 cases of gonorrhoea. Eligible people will also be offered mpox, hepatitis A and B, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations when attending their appointment for the gonorrhoea vaccine.

What is gonorrhoea?

Gonorrhoea is an STI passed on through sex and if not treated, can cause serious health problems such as infections in the eyes, testicles, or prostate.

Symptoms include a burning pain when you pee, fluid or discharge coming out of your genitals, and pain in your testicles or lower abdomen. These symptoms usually start around 2 weeks after infection, but an infected person may have no symptoms and can still transmit the infection, informed NHS. Medical practitioners suggest using a condom every time an individual has sex with new or casual partners. 

“Introducing the world’s first gonorrhoea vaccine programme into England’s sexual health services is a major milestone for public health. This initiative has the potential, as proven in multiple studies, to reduce the cases of gonorrhoea in specific groups by an average of 35%. It is a much-needed intervention, and one that public health leads and commissioners will work hard to embed within sexual health services locally to reduce the number of diagnoses nationally," said James Woolgar, Chair of English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group.

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