The Scottish Government has announced £280,000 of funding to roll-out a vaccination programme for gonorrhoea. Starting in August, the government has stated that vaccine will be offered to eligible groups, including gay and bisexual men at highest risk of infection, sex workers and others assessed as high risk by a clinician.

Rates of gonorrhoea have reached record highs in Scotland, with a 59% increase in the number of diagnoses of the STI between 2019 and 2023. There has also been an increase in cases of antibiotic gonorrhoea. The new vaccination programme aims to reduce new cases of the STI.

The announcement from Public Health Minister Jenni Minto MSP follows a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) advice for a roll-out of a gonorrhoea vaccine. It comes after the UK Government announced a vaccination programme in England earlier this year and the publication of new UK-wide clinical guidelines on DoxyPEP to prevent syphilis. The Welsh Government has also announced the roll-out of a targeted gonorrhoea vaccination programme.

Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: ‘The roll-out of a gonorrhoea vaccine in Scotland is a game-changer in our fight to reduce new cases of the STI and tackle health inequalities. There has been a worrying trend across the UK about antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea strains and this vaccine programme will help counter this.

‘We have been calling for bold action from the Scottish Government to address rising STI rates. We are pleased they have listened and will roll-out this world-leading vaccination programme. This is only one of the tools in our arsenal to end soaring rates of STIs and end new HIV transmissions in Scotland. The government must now act with urgency to address the postcode lottery of STI testing, by delivering on their commitment of a national online HIV and STI testing service for the whole of Scotland.’