Summary
England will be the first country to introduce a vaccine against gonorrhoea, focusing on high-risk groups like gay and bisexual men. The vaccine is 30-40% effective in reducing infections and aims to curb rising gonorrhoea cases, which reached over 85,000 in 2023, the highest number recorded since 1918.
Key Facts
- England will be the first to offer a gonorrhoea vaccine, starting in August.
- The vaccine mainly targets gay and bisexual men with multiple partners or a history of STIs.
- In 2023, gonorrhoea cases in England exceeded 85,000, the highest since 1918.
- The vaccine is borrowed from the meningitis B vaccine, proving about 30-40% effective against gonorrhoea.
- Imperial College London predicts the vaccine could prevent 100,000 cases and save the NHS £8 million in ten years.
- Gonorrhoea is becoming harder to treat due to antibiotic resistance.
- Vaccination aims to reduce the spread and address drug-resistant strains of the infection.
- Other UK regions like Scotland are also planning similar vaccination programs for high-risk groups.
