Trust joins world-first vaccination programme to prevent gonorrhoea

Award-winning sexual health services at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are some of the first in the country to roll out the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine from 1 August.

A world-first vaccination for preventing gonorrhoea is now available to eligible cohorts on the NHS. Sexual health services run by the Trust, including 56 Dean Street, John Hunter Clinic, 10 Hammersmith Broadway and Sexual Health Hounslow, will now offer the vaccination.

The vaccine is being offered to eligible groups, including gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (MSM) who are considered at highest risk. People of other genders and sexualities may also be eligible if assessed to be at high risk.

This launch comes after the government accepted the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) advice for an NHS roll out of the vaccine amid a record high 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses in England in 2023 – 3 times higher than in 2012.

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and, if left untreated, can cause serious health problems. Research shows that the MenB vaccine can reduce the risk of acquiring gonorrhoea by up to 40%.

Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton said: “This world-first vaccine programme represents a significant breakthrough for public health, and once again our NHS is leading the way.

 “It could not come at a more critical time – after years of neglect of public health services, we inherited gonorrhoea diagnoses at record levels, triple what they were in 2012. By targeting those most at risk, we can reduce transmission rates from this unpleasant disease that is becoming harder to treat and prevent thousands of cases over the next few years."

Discover more information on the MenB vaccination programme.