Thanks to the world’s first vaccination program against a leading sexually transmitted infection (STI), thousands of gonorrhoea cases in the United Kingdom could be prevented over the next decade.
The UK’s NHS and local government announced on May 21, 2025, that they are launching a vaccine program to prevent the recent increase in gonorrhoea cases. Those who receive the meningococcal B disease vaccine 4CMenB (Bexsero®) could be protected from gonorrhoea by up to 40%.
In 2023, there were 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses in England, 300% higher than in 2012.
Eligible patients will be offered the vaccine through local authority-commissioned sexual health services from early August 2025.
Eligible people will also be offered mpox (JYNNEOS), hepatitis A and B, and human papillomavirus vaccinations when attending their appointment for the gonorrhoea vaccine.
James Woolgar, Chair of English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group, commented in a press release, “Introducing the world’s first gonorrhoea vaccine programme into England’s sexual health services is a major milestone for public health.”
In the United States, Bexsero is FDA-approved, recommended by the CDC for certain people, and available at most clinics and pharmacies.
