England to launch gonorrhea vaccination program

LONDON

Health authorities in England Wednesday announced the rollout of a world first vaccine program for gonorrhea, amid record levels of the sexually transmitted disease.

Gonorrhea cases in England in 2023 topped 85,000, the highest number since records began in 1918, with doctors warning of rising levels of antibiotic resistance.

Richard Angell, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the U.K.'s leading HIV and sexual health charity, hailed the initiative as a "game changer."

"This alone could cut 40 percent of new gonorrhea cases," he said.

State-funded National Health Service (NHS) chief Amanda Doyle said it would be the world's "first" routine vaccination program for the disease.

The NHS director of primary and community care described it as a "huge step forward for sexual health," adding that it would also help "reduce the rising rates of antibiotic resistance strains of the bacteria."

The program deploys an existing jab normally used to protect children against the meningococcal B disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and sepsis.

Known as 4CMenB, it is part of the routine childhood vaccination program given to babies at eight weeks, 16 weeks and one year.

During appointments, patients will also be offered jabs for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B.