11 hours ago
New gonorrhoea vaccine to be rolled out in Wales from August
A new gonorrhoea vaccine will be made available as part of a sexual health programme.
The vaccine rollout, which will begin in Wales in August 2025, follows a recent launch in England and will make the UK the first nation in the world to introduce such a scheme.
The news comes as Public Health Wales encourages people to take up the vaccine when it becomes available, alongside practising safe sex and regular testing, following findings from its latest annual report on sexual health trends.
Professor Daniel Thomas, consultant epidemiologist at Public Health Wales, said: "We are asking people to stay informed and stay safe.
"Use condoms, test regularly, and take up the gonorrhoea vaccine when it becomes available.
"We all have a part to play in protecting our sexual health and that of our partners."
The vaccine is being introduced amid concerns over rising antibiotic resistance.
Public Health Wales continues to recommend annual STI testing for all sexually active individuals, particularly those with new or multiple partners.
Since its launch in 2020, the Test and Post home testing service now accounts for half of all STI tests in Wales.
These confidential kits can be ordered online at or collected from community venues.
Although there was a 40 per cent drop in gonorrhoea cases in Wales last year, the infection remains at historically high levels following several years of increases.
Gonorrhoea is often symptomless, making regular testing and vaccine uptake especially important.
Chlamydia diagnoses also fell by 16 per cent, but it remains the most commonly reported bacterial STI in Wales, particularly among 15 to 24-year-olds.
Public Health Wales cautioned that the decline in reported cases might be due to changes in testing patterns rather than a true reduction in transmission.
The organisation also flagged ongoing concerns about high rates of reinfection and co-infection, suggesting continued risky behaviours and underdiagnosis.
