This week health authorities in England made a truly historic announcement. To see them launching the world’s first vaccination program for gonorrhoea, a once-controlled disease that has immensely resurged in recent years. On May 21, we announced our Gonorrhoea Action Plan – a first-of-its-kind initiative to address the disturbing global increase in gonorrhoea diagnoses. By 2023, those cases had skyrocketed to more than 85,000—the most ever reported since 1918.
The dramatic uptick in gonorrhea cases has wide-reaching health implications, especially in terms of combatting antibiotic resistance. Medical professionals are alarmed over increasing resistance in gonorrhea strains. This trend is increasingly complicating treatment options for the people impacted. This comeback is in line with a national trend towards increasing cases of syphilis, yet another sexually transmitted infection that has come to the forefront in Britain.
As the UK’s deputy director of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) put it at last year’s AMR conference, things are serious. He stressed that the rise in gonorrhoea cases is symptomatic of larger, systemic public health issues. Unfortunately, access to vaccination programs has long been a challenge for health care professionals and communities alike. Projections indicate that it could prevent more than 40% of new cases.
Patients coming in for routine appointments will be given the gonorrhoea vaccine. They will be connected to vaccinations for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B. This multifaceted approach is intended to address overall sexual health and stem the continued spread of infections.
Gonorrhoea, colloquially known as “the clap”, used to be considered an infectious disease of the Victorian age. Due to progress in medicine and diagnosis this disease has been completely eliminated. The latest numbers paint a disturbing picture. This is critical given that in 2023, new diagnoses jumped more than 9% from 2022. We recorded 9,513 cases, a volume we have not felt since 1948.
Dr. Amanda Doyle welcomed today’s vaccination program as a “huge step forward for sexual health.” She stressed that it’s opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the immediate future for public health. Richard Angell, an advocate for sexual health initiatives, stated that “this alone could cut 40% of new gonorrhoea cases,” reinforcing the importance of the vaccination effort.
England is making one of the most ambitious efforts in history to stop gonorrhoea in its tracks. Health officials want to remain one step ahead of the infection to protect Americans from exposure. This new program is an important, proactive step to address a resurging, serious public health problem. It shines a light on the continued urgent demand for holistic sexual health approaches.
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