Shutterstock.com
A “world-first” gonorrhoea vaccination programme has been rolled out in England to protect those at highest risk of infection as cases hit record highs, the government has announced.
On 4 August 2025, sexual health clinics across England began offering the 4CMenB vaccine to gay and bisexual men with a recent history of multiple sexual partners and a bacterial STI, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The DHSC said that the programme is expected to prevent up to 100,000 cases of gonorrhoea over the next decade and save the NHS more than £7.9m.
On the same day as the launch of the programme, Ashley Dalton, minister for public health and prevention, described the rollout as “a major breakthrough” in tackling infections and addressing the threat of antibiotic resistance.
In 2023, there were more than 85,000 reported cases of gonorrhoea in England — three times the number seen in 2012.
Although NHS England confirmed to The Pharmaceutical Journal that the vaccine will not be available in pharmacies, Stephanie Katiyar, sexual health pharmacist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and pre-exposure prophylaxis lead, said pharmacists have a “crucial supporting role … in ensuring its success”.
“Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to raise awareness, provide trusted information and encourage eligible individuals to access the vaccine through local sexual health services,” she explained.
“By leveraging our accessibility and frequent patient interactions, we can help bridge gaps in knowledge and reduce stigma around sexual health.
“Additionally, pharmacists can continue to support sexual health by advising on prevention strategies, facilitating timely testing and treatment, and promoting overall sexual wellbeing. In doing so, we complement the vital work of sexual health clinics and help ensure that this vaccine reaches the populations who need it most.”
Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, added that the programme “marks a real step forward for sexual health” and urged all those eligible to take up the offer.
The vaccine will be offered alongside existing jabs available at sexual health clinics, including those for mpox, hepatitis A and B and HPV.
In April 2025, research suggested that the antibiotic gepotidacin was as effective in treating gonorrhoea as the current recommended first-line therapy ceftriaxone plus azithromycin.
