Wales has become one of the first countries in the world to offer a vaccine for gonorrhoea
A vaccine to help prevent new cases of gonorrhoea is now available from sexual health services in Wales. The vaccine is on offer 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 most recent data from Public Health Wales shows a decrease in new gonorrhoea diagnoses, after reaching a 10-year high in 2023. In 2024, there were 3,204 people diagnosed with gonorrhoea in Wales, representing a decrease from 5,336 diagnoses in 2023. The number of people testing for gonorrhoea fell slightly in the same period, dropping from 93,802 people tested in 2023 to 92,283 in 2024.
The vaccination programme began earlier this summer and will help shield those most at risk of gonorrhoea – potentially averting up to 100,000 cases of the STI across the UK over the next decade.
Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:
‘The gonorrhoea vaccine programme is the bold action we need to turn the tide on historic STI rates. With Wales already leading the way with a national online STI testing service, this is another tool in our toolkit to tackle rising STI rates and address health inequalities. Now we need to make sure that everyone who could benefit from this vaccine knows about it‘.