Gonorrhoea diagnoses in NI have risen sharply since 2022
21:36, 29 Jul 2025Updated 22:33, 29 Jul 2025
Infection may also result in complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)
People in Northern Ireland are set to be offered a vaccine against Gonorrhoea from this weekend as part of a “world first” vaccine roll-out.
From August, eligible people, including gay men, bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners or a sexually transmitted infection (STI), will start to be offered the vaccine, with two doses advised.
This follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which recommended the roll-out of vaccination following an upsurge in gonorrhoea diagnoses.
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Gonorrhoea is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium, which is transmitted through condomless vaginal, oral, or anal sex, or genital contact with an infected partner.
Even if an infected person has no symptoms, the infection can still be transmitted. Typical symptoms of infection may include thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis and pain on urination. Infection may also result in complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility in the womb or ovaries, and painful infection in the testicles and prostate.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Rachel Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the PHA, said: “The JCVI has said that the vaccine we currently use in the childhood programme against meningitis B actually offers some protection against gonorrhoea.
“The gonorrhea bacteria itself is similar to meningitis B, and the evidence has shown that there has been a benefit and that it offers some protection against gonorrhoea.
“It has been 40 per cent effective against gonorrhoea in some high-risk groups, which is really great news.”
Gonorrhoea diagnoses in NI have risen sharply since 2022. Total gonorrhoea diagnosed in 2022 (1606) was two and a half times higher than the previous year (652), and this high level of gonorrhoea diagnosis was sustained in 2023. There was a small decline in 2024 to 1,208 cases.
Addresssing those who may have doubts about taking the vaccine due to it being less than 50 per cent effective, Rachel said that even with a 40 per cent effectiveness, the vaccine will drastically reduce the number of cases in Northern Ireland.
The gonorrhoea vaccine will be offered to people in NI from this weekend(Image: Getty Images)
“We need to remember that gonorrhoea is really quite nasty and it can be quite a serious infection with some serious consequences. It can kind of lead to infertility in some cases, and it can cause quite a lot of damage in the body.
“Even with what I suppose we could say is a modest vaccine effectiveness, there is still the benefit.
“Having gonorrhoea and having a previous infection with gonorrhoea doesn’t give you any protection against future reinfection. So even with this vaccine’s effectiveness of 40 per cent, it’s still really good and it will reduce the burden of gonorrhoea on our population in Northern Ireland.
“Rates of gonorrhoea in the past number of years have gotten really high in Northern Ireland, and they’re much higher than what we would like. So even I suppose with the 40 per cent vaccine effectiveness, we’d like to see that there would be obviously a significant reduction in the number of cases overall, which will in turn then reduce transmission as well.”
The vaccine will be available through GUM clinics within local Health and Social Care Trusts, and the Belfast Trust will operate a walk-in service with no appointment required at the Royal Victoria Hospital GUM clinic from 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays and Sundays throughout August and September for those eligible to receive the vaccine.
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