UNSW Study Finds MenB Vaccine Fails Against Gonorrhoea in 587-Men Trial

Q: A key trial proved the gonorrhoea vaccine ineffective. Why is the UK still using it?

The UK is still using the MenB vaccine because officials do not see one Australian trial as enough, on its own, to overturn the broader evidence that led to the programme. The vaccine being used is not a dedicated gonorrhoea shot but the 4CMenB meningitis B vaccine, offered off-label because the meningococcus and gonorrhoea bacteria are closely related. Earlier observational studies in several countries suggested it cut gonorrhoea risk by roughly a third to nearly a half, and a 2024 meta-analysis found protection in that range. That evidence, along with modelling that suggested even modest protection could reduce transmission in high-risk groups and be cost-effective, underpinned the UK rollout to gay and bisexual men at higher risk. UK health officials also argue the new GoGoVax trial has limits. It followed 587 men, far fewer than the more than 30,000 people being tracked in England. Most participants had already had gonorrhoea, which researchers said may affect how well any vaccine works, and the findings may not fully generalise to other settings. UKHSA says its own real-world data will be more robust and is due later in 2026 and 2027. There is also a practical reason not to rush. The vaccine is already licensed and safe for meningitis B, and gonorrhoea remains a serious public health threat because of high case numbers and rising antibiotic resistance. For now, the UK is keeping the programme under review rather than stopping it immediately.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 8

A 587-man Australian trial found no meaningful gonorrhoea protection from the 4CMenB vaccine, with 291 new infections in the vaccinated group versus 285 on placebo over two years.
The New England Journal of Medicine study challenges earlier research that had suggested about 38% lower gonorrhoea rates, a finding that helped prompt the NHS to offer MenB shots to at-risk men from August 2025.
UKHSA said it is not changing policy yet, arguing data from more than 30,000 people in England who have started the vaccine course should provide a more robust assessment.
Gonorrhoea remains a major public-health concern despite cases in England falling from a 2022 peak of 82,592 to 63,943 in 2025, still roughly double 2015 levels and increasingly complicated by antimicrobial resistance.