Gonorrhoea vaccine becomes available at sexual health clinics in England
The vaccination programme is expected to save the NHS £7.9 million over the next decade and combat increasing levels of antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease.
The move aims to tackle rising levels of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) after cases in England topped 85,000 in 2023, the highest since records began in 1918.
The free jab will be on offer from Monday to patients at the highest risk of the sexually transmitted infection, including gay and bisexual men with a recent history of multiple sexual partners or a bacterial STI.
The vaccine is an existing jab, known as 4CMenB, that is currently used to protect people against the meningococcal B disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and sepsis.
It is used in the routine childhood programme and given to babies at eight weeks, 16 weeks and one year.
The programme is targeted to those most at risk and could prevent up to 100,000 cases.
Gonorrhoea disproportionately impacts specific communities, such as those in deprived areas, people of black Caribbean ethnicity, and gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, according to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Patients getting the gonorrhoea vaccine will also be offered jabs for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B at their appointment.
Ashley Dalton, the minister for public health and prevention, said: 'Rolling out this world-leading gonorrhoea vaccination programme in sexual health clinics in England represents a major breakthrough in preventing an infection that has reached record levels.
'This government's world-first vaccination programme will help turn the tide on infections, as well as tackling head-on the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
'I strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to come forward for vaccination, to protect not only yourselves but also your sexual partners.'
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The Independent
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- The Independent
Plans announced to crack down on cosmetic procedure ‘cowboys'
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Proposals include: – Only health workers who are 'suitably qualified' will be able to deliver high-risk procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs). – And these workers must be working in providers regulated by the health regulator, the Care Quality Commission. – Those who break the rules on high-risk procedures could face sanctions from the watchdog and financial penalties. – Clinics offering Botox and fillers will need to be licensed and meet certain standards to obtain a licence by their local authority. – Age restrictions will be introduced to prevent children from trying to follow 'dangerous beauty trends on social media', officials said. This would see restrictions for under 18s on high risk cosmetic procedures, unless authorised by a health professional. The Department said that it will launch a consultation next year seeking views on the range of procedures which should be covered in the new restrictions. Alice Webb, 33, from Gloucestershire, died in 2024 after having a BBL. The mother-of-five worked in the beauty industry and lived in Wotton-under-Edge with her family. Her partner Dane Knight said she may not have died if the proposed changes were in place. He told ITV News: 'It would have prevented it. 'I hope something gets put in place before it happens again and another family's just ripped apart and destroyed because it will if something's not done sooner rather than later. 'It's just a shame that it's taken someone's life for it now to be pushed out and for people to start listening and for other people's power to start listening and to enforce this law to stop other families and other people's lives being destroyed. 'Knowing the pain we've gone through, that it might not happen to anyone else is comforting, and knowing it's Alice's legacy brings some comfort to the children and I.' Leading medics said that only surgeons should be able to perform BBLs or any intervention designed for augmentation of the breasts, buttocks of genitals. Last month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, BBLs, Botox and fillers are being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets. Before the proposed regulations come into force, the Government has urged people seeking cosmetic procedures to ask for the provider's qualifications and insurance, and to be wary of 'suspiciously cheap' offers. It comes after health officials launched an investigation after a number of people had reactions to Botox injections earlier this year. Health minister Karin Smyth said: 'The cosmetics industry has been plagued by a Wild West of dodgy practitioners and procedures. 'There are countless horror stories of cosmetic cowboys causing serious, catastrophic damage. 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The Independent
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Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
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Health minister Karin Smyth op-ed Writing for the Daily Mail, health minister Karin Smyth said: 'I'll never forget the name Alice Webb. 'She was a young woman – and a mother of five - who simply wanted to feel better about herself. Instead, a cosmetic procedure she had in England ended up costing her life. 'Her heartbreaking story is a stark reminder of what happens when dangerous, unqualified individuals are allowed to operate unchecked in the cosmetic industry. 'We're not going to stand by while innocent people are harmed by chancers passing themselves off as cosmetic surgeons. 'These charlatans are luring in vulnerable people - especially young women - with cheap procedures that can go catastrophically wrong. Kitchen table operations. Dangerous injections in someone's front room. Industrial-grade silicone being pumped into people's bodies. 'The human cost can be devastating. And who picks up the pieces? Taxpayers and NHS doctors and nurses, already stretched to breaking point. 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Millie Kendall, chief executive of the British Beauty Council, said: 'Any measures that increase protection for the general public and professionalise the industry will help instil confidence as well as helping to prevent the normalisation of horror stories that have become synonymous with our sector.' Ashton Collins, director of Save Face – a register of accredited practitioners, added: 'I am delighted that the government has recognised the significant and potentially fatal risks posed by highly dangerous procedures like liquid BBLs, and has made it a priority to implement restrictions to protect public safety. 'I have seen firsthand the devastating impact these procedures can have on the lives of victims and their families — none more so than the family of Alice Webb.' Ms Webb, 33, from Gloucestershire, died in 2024 after having a BBL. The mother-of-five worked in the beauty industry and lived in the Wotton-under-Edge area of Gloucestershire with her family. Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: 'It's encouraging to see recognition of the risks associated with procedures such as liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts, however we believe this procedure – along with any intervention designed for buttock, breast or genital augmentation – should only be performed by a Cosmetic Surgery Board Certified surgeon. 'Medical oversight is essential to prevent serious complications and protect individuals from lasting physical and psychological harm and, at worst, death. 'These plans could help improve regulation of lower-risk non-surgical interventions, but the government must also urgently improve regulation of surgical procedures – ensuring only surgeons who are Cosmetic Surgery Board Certified can perform such operations. 'This will ensure high standards of care, reduce avoidable harm, and give patients the confidence they deserve when seeking aesthetic treatments.' 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