Gonorrhoea vaccination appointments open

A targeted vaccination programme against gonorrhoea will begin across Northern Ireland in August with eligible people being asked to make an appointment now.

The illness is the most common sexually transmitted infection in Northern Ireland.

It will not be available for everyone initially, the focus will be on gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners or have recently had a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

England will also begin its vaccination roll out in August this year.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended roll out of the vaccine in November 2023 following an upsurge in gonorrhoea cases.

Rachel Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the PHA, said around eight out of 10 gonorrhoea infections occur in men.

“Gay and bisexual men are most commonly affected, so by offering the vaccine to those most at risk it will not only help to protect them against the disease but will also help to reduce the spread,” she added.

The vaccine is an existing one for meningococcal B disease, called 4CMenB.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) research shows that those who receive the jab could be protected from the STI by up to 40% and it could help tackle levels of antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease.

The vaccine will be available through GUM clinics within regional Health and Social Care Trusts.

Gonorrhoea diagnoses in NI have risen sharply since 2022.

There were 1606 gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022, which was two and a half times higher than the previous year, and this high level of gonorrhoea diagnosis was sustained in 2023.

There was a small decline in 2024 to 1,208 cases, according to PHA data.

Gonorrhoea does not always have symptoms, but they can include pain, unusual discharge, inflammation of the genitals and infertility.

It is easily passed from person to person through unprotected sex.

The infection can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby, and without treatment, can cause permanent blindness for a newborn baby.

It is not spread by non-sexual contact like hugging.

It is not transmitted through surfaces and materials like toilet seats, towels, cups or plates.

If you have had successful treatment for gonorrhoea before, you can still catch it again.

Source: NHS.