BY: DM
Published 1 day ago
The UK is not playing when it comes to sexual health. NHS England just dropped big news — they’re rolling out the world’s first-ever gonorrhea vaccine trial. Officials have announced that from early August, certain at-risk adults will be offered a vaccine against gonorrhea.
In 2023, England recorded a staggering 85,000 cases of gonorrhea — the highest number seen since official records began in 1918, according to data from NHS England and the BBC. However, since 2012, the country has seen a threefold increase in diagnoses. This meant not just a rise in transmission, but also the urgent need for new solutions to combat the infection. Experts credit the spike to changing sexual behaviors, reduced condom use, and growing antibiotic resistance, which together create the perfect storm for escalation.
Now, England is fighting back against the gonorrhea wave with a new vaccine. Here is a look at how it was developed, and if the U.S. plans to follow suit.
England is experiencing a gonorrhea crisis.
English health officials hope the gonorrhea vaccine will help reverse the trend, as things have gotten really bad. Doctors warn the bug has a long history of drug resistance – it has shrugged off sulfa drugs, penicillin, and fluoroquinolones over decades. In some cases, only powerful cephalosporin antibiotics still reliably cure most cases, and even those are under threat.
The gonorrhea combat plan uses an old vaccine for a new job. The MenB vaccine (4CMenB, brand name Bexsero) is already given to UK babies and teens to prevent meningitis B. Studies show it also cuts gonorrhea risk by roughly 30–40%, according to the BBC. That may sound modest, but public health experts say even partial protection is worth it when cases are spiking. Andrew Pollard, chair of the UK’s vaccine committee, explains that the vaccine would make sex safer. Pollard emphasizes that, despite only 30% efficacy, the jab “is worth having” and could still “have a huge impact” on gonorrhea rates.
NHS local clinics will roll out the jab. Authorities say starting Aug. 1, they will contact eligible patients through sexual health services. Anyone fitting the criteria – primarily gay/bi men with recent multiple partners or an STI – will be invited to a clinic appointment. They’ll get a single dose of 4CMenB – an arm injection – and they can catch up on other shots at the same visit.
Will the U.S. develop a gonorrhea vaccine?
In the U.S., no national gonorrhea vaccine campaign has been planned yet, and no gonorrhea vaccine has been FDA-approved. But U.S. health officials are watching closely. The CDC reports about 710,000 US gonorrhea cases in 2021, and ranks gonorrhea as a top drug-resistant threat, per Vaccine Advisor.
American scientists could be working on it, but until one is proven safe and effective, there’s no plan to start vaccinating people here. However, doctors across the world are undoubtedly eying England. If this “world-first” experiment succeeds in cutting infections, health experts say others will likely take notice.
Would you take a vaccine that only offers 30–40% protection if it could help stop an STI outbreak? Comment below!
