From Monday 4 August, sexual health clinics will be able to offer a free vaccine to patients at highest risk of the sexually transmitted infection (STI), including gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners and a bacterial STI in the previous 12 months.

The 4CMenB vaccine will help shield those most at risk of gonorrhoea - potentially averting up to 100,000 cases of the disease, while easing pressure on vital NHS services.

Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said:

'Rolling out this world-leading gonorrhoea vaccination programme in sexual health clinics in England represents a major breakthrough in preventing an infection that has reached record levels.

'This government’s world-first vaccination programme will help turn the tide on infections, as well as tackling head-on the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

'I strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to come forward for vaccination, to protect not only yourselves but also your sexual partners.'

The ground-breaking vaccination programme comes at a critical time, with diagnoses of gonorrhoea reaching their highest levels since records began. In 2023, a record 85,000 cases of the disease were reported in England - three times higher than in 2012.

This vaccine will protect thousands of people and save the NHS more than £7.9 million over the next decade. It will also help combat increasing levels of antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease.  

The rollout is part of this government’s commitment to keep people healthier via an array of prevention and community health initiatives. This includes the Department of Health and Social Care’s National HIV Prevention Programme delivered by the Terrence Higgins Trust, which has worked with local activation partners to deliver National HIV Testing Week and the summer campaign for the past 4 years.

Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said, 

'We asked and the government listened. The roll-out of this vaccine could be a turning point in our fight against rising rates of gonorrhoea. Now we need to make sure that everyone who could benefit from this vaccine knows about it. If we get that right, the potential impact is huge: reducing the burden on sexual health services, avoiding complications the virus can cause, and 100,000 people over the next decade who won't get gonorrhoea.'