UK to start "world first" gonorrhoea vaccine programme

Sexual health services in the UK will start rolling out a 'world-first' vaccine programme designed to protect people from gonorrhoea in August.

The programme will deploy GSK's meningococcal vaccine Bexsero (4CMenB), which was recommended by the UK's Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in 2023 in populations at high risk of getting gonorrhoea, such as men who have sex with men.

NHS England announced today that the Bexsero will be offered to gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners or a sexually-transmitted infection (STI), estimating that it will help to prevent "thousands" of cases over the next decade.

The JCVI advice came after a record high of 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses in England in 2023 – three times higher than in 2012 – and the new programme stems from clinical trial data showing that the jab can provide partial protection against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterial species that causes the disease.

Studies have suggested that a two-dose vaccination regimen with Bexsero offers 40% protection against infection. Meanwhile, GSK is also working on a dedicated gonorrhoea vaccine that promises to offer improved protection, while its recently approved new antibiotic Blujepa (gepotidacin) has also shown efficacy in phase 3 trials.

An analysis (PDF) carried out by researchers at Imperial College London has suggested that Bexsero could prevent up to 100,000 cases of gonorrhoea and save the NHS over £7.9 million over the next decade, assuming high uptake under the proposed programme is achieved.

"I would encourage all those eligible to take up the vaccine when it is offered later this year, to not only keep each other safe but help tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance," said Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton.

Eligible people will also be offered mpox, hepatitis A and B, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines when attending their appointment for the gonorrhoea jab, said NHS England, which notes that gonorrhoea is now the second most commonly diagnosed STI.

Meanwhile, the programme has been celebrated by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), whose president – Prof Matt Phillips – called it a "landmark moment for sexual health in England."

Gonorrhoea diagnoses are at their highest since records began, he said, and this "has the potential to help us to turn that around. To make the most of this opportunity, we must now work together to ensure these programmes form part of a wider, joined-up response to improving sexual health and wellbeing in the UK."