England will start giving a vaccine to fight gonorrhoea, becoming the first country in the world to do so. The program will begin on August 1, 2025, after gonorrhoea cases in England reached over 85,000 in 2023, a record high. Health officials hope the vaccine will help reduce infections and combat growing antibiotic resistance.
The vaccine used is the 4CMenB jab, which was originally developed to protect against meningitis B. It contains proteins that are similar to the bacteria that cause gonorrhoea, so it offers some protection against the disease. Sexual health clinics will identify eligible patients and provide the vaccine. Patients may also receive other vaccines during their visit, such as those for mpox, HPV, and hepatitis A and B.
Research estimates that the vaccine provides about 33 to 42 percent protection against gonorrhoea. Previous infections do not provide strong immunity, so vaccination is an important step to prevent new cases. England is seeing an increase in drug-resistant gonorrhoea strains. From January 2024 to March 2025, there were 17 cases resistant to the main antibiotic ceftriaxone and nine cases classified as extensively drug-resistant.
The UK Health Security Agency has praised the country’s leadership in introducing the vaccine as a key way to protect people at risk. Health officials urge those eligible to get vaccinated to help keep themselves safe and reduce the threat of antibiotic resistance. Experts say this vaccine could reduce new gonorrhoea cases by up to 40 percent, marking a major breakthrough in controlling sexually transmitted infections.