Push Grows for UK Gonorrhoea Vaccine Roll-Out as STI Rates Hit Record High
Health experts and advocacy groups are urging the UK government to roll out a gonorrhoea vaccine via the NHS, as cases of the sexually transmitted infection hit record levels.
Max, a sexual health educator, was among the more than 85,000 people diagnosed with gonorrhoea in England last year—the highest number ever recorded. After sharing his experience publicly, he hopes to reduce stigma around STIs and support calls for greater prevention strategies.
“I went from never having an STI to being diagnosed multiple times in just three months,” Max said. “Even if you’re doing everything right, it can still happen.”
The Case for Vaccination
In November 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended targeted use of the MenB vaccine, originally developed for meningitis B. Studies showed it could reduce gonorrhoea transmission by around 40%, particularly in high-risk groups such as gay and bisexual men and individuals with a history of STIs.
Experts believe this would be cost-effective, saving the NHS money on treatments and appointments by preventing infections in the first place.
Prof Matt Phillips, President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), is pushing for immediate action: “If we don’t do this now, we risk more antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. The science supports it. Let’s get it done.”
Charities including the Terrence Higgins Trust and The Love Tank agree, calling for urgent NHS access to both the MenB vaccine and Doxy-PEP, an antibiotic taken before sex to prevent certain bacterial STIs.
Barriers to Access
Currently, neither the MenB vaccine nor Doxy-PEP is freely available on the NHS for sexual health purposes. Private options are available at high street pharmacies like Boots and Superdrug, costing around £110 per dose, which many say is unaffordable for those most at risk.
Phil Samba of The Love Tank, who campaigns for sexual health equality, says systemic delays and underfunding are a big part of the problem.
“Sexual health services are massively underfunded,” he told BBC Newsbeat. “Access to prevention should be as normal as going to the dentist.”
Phil, who has contracted gonorrhoea multiple times, argues that better access to resources like vaccines, PrEP (for HIV), and mpox jabs would prevent many infections before they happen.
Tackling Stigma and Lack of Education
Max, who shares educational content online, says stigma and lack of sexual health education—especially for LGBTQ+ communities—leave many people in the dark.
“There’s still a lot of shame attached to STIs,” he said. “Queer people especially have to go out of their way to get the information they should’ve had in school.”
Official data shows that young people under 25, gay and bisexual men, and Black men are among the most affected demographics.
The Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged the JCVI’s recommendation and says it’s currently reviewing it. A spokesperson confirmed a £200 million boost to the public health grant, which supports local sexual health clinics, was recently announced.
Conclusion
With gonorrhoea cases soaring and drug-resistant strains emerging, experts say the time to act is now. Rolling out the MenB vaccine on the NHS could be a vital step in safeguarding public health—especially for the most vulnerable communities.
