London [UK], May 21 : The UK's National Health Service (NHS) and local government are launching the world's first routine gonorrhoea vaccination programme.
Starting in early August, eligible individuals, primarily gay and bisexual men with recent histories of multiple partners or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), will be offered the vaccine through local sexual health services.
In a release on Wednesday, the NHS said, "Eligible patients, which includes gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners or a STI, will start to be offered the vaccine through local authority-commissioned sexual health services from early August."
It added, "It comes after the government accepted the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's (JCVI) advice for an NHS roll out of the vaccine amid a record high 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses in England in 2023 - 3 times higher than in 2012."
According to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) research, people who receive the jab, an existing vaccine for meningococcal B disease, 4CMenB, could be protected from gonorrhoea by up to 40 per cent and help tackle the increasing levels of antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease. UKHSA is supporting NHS England with the programme's rollout.
Analysis led by Imperial College London has suggested the vaccine known as 4CMenB could avert up to 1,00,000 cases of gonorrhoea and save the NHS over GBP 7.9 million over the next decade, if high uptake is achieved and an ongoing programme is confirmed.
"Local providers will identify and contact those eligible through sexual health services, with vaccinations starting from early August. Eligible people will also be offered mpox, hepatitis A and B and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations when attending their appointment for the gonorrhoea vaccine," the release stated.
NHS England's National Director for Primary Care and Community Services Dr Amanda Doyle 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 resistant strains of the bacteria."
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 an STI passed on through sex and if not treated, can cause serious health problems such as infections in the eyes, testicles or prostate. It is the second most commonly diagnosed STI in England, but not everyone gets symptoms of gonorrhoea. Symptoms include a burning pain when you pee, fluid or discharge coming out of your genitals, and pain in your testicles or lower abdomen.