UK starts 'world-first' gonorrhoea vaccination push

The UK has started a 'world-first' gonorrhoea vaccination programme that is designed to prevent thousands of cases and save the NHS millions of pounds in the coming decade.

The campaign – first announced earlier this year – started in England today and will see GSK's meningococcal vaccine Bexsero (4CMenB) being rolled out through sexual health clinics, initially to populations at high risk of getting gonorrhoea, such as men who have sex with men, who have a history of multiple sexual partners or sexually transmitted infections.

The free vaccinations have the potential to prevent "up to 100,000 cases of the disease, while easing pressure on vital NHS services," and save the health service £7.9 million in the next 10 years, according to an analysis (PDF) carried out by researchers at Imperial College London.

Data reported earlier this year from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed an alarming rise in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea cases, including extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains resistant to the go-to antibiotic ceftriaxone as well as to second-line treatment options.

There were around 72,000 cases of gonorrhoea recorded in 2024, a slight decrease from the 85,000 reported in 2023, but three times higher than in 2012. There have also been 14 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea in the first five months of 2025, exceeding the 13 cases reported for the whole of last year.

Studies have suggested that a two-dose vaccination regimen with Bexsero offers up to 40% protection against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterial species that causes the disease. Typical symptoms of gonorrhoea include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating, and pain and discomfort in the rectum.

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 and could provide a new treatment option.

Bexsero is has been used for many years to protect against meningitis B and was added to the routine childhood immunisation schedule in the UK a decade ago. It is one of GSK's top products with sales of £533 million (more than $700 million) in the first half of this year.

Richard Angell OBE, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, which campaigned for the vaccines to be provided in the UK, said: "We asked and the government listened. The roll-out of this vaccine could be a turning point in our fight against rising rates of gonorrhoea."

He added that the next challenge will be "to make sure that everyone who could benefit from this vaccine knows about it."