British scientists are urging the government to implement routine vaccines for those most susceptible to monkeypox and gonorrhea, marking the world’s first immunization program against the latter. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) has recommended to Rishi Sunak that both programs be offered opportunistically to those who need it most.
Professor Andrew Pollard, Chair of the JCVI, expressed, “The UK’s gonorrhea prevention program is a world-first and is expected to significantly reduce gonorrhea levels, which are currently at record highs. In addition, we recommend implementing routine monkeypox vaccinations to prevent a recurrence of the outbreaks seen in early 2022. Both vaccines should be offered to those at highest risk.”
The JCVI also advises that recommended vaccination programs against gonorrhea should primarily target gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, who are at higher risk of contracting the disease. This comes in light of a 50.3% increase in gonorrhea diagnoses in 2022 compared to 2021, totaling 82,592 cases, according to Health and Safety Executive sexually transmitted infection (STI) statistics. Additionally, the number of gonorrhea cases in the UK last year was reported to be up by more than a fifth from pre-pandemic levels.
Greg Fell, chairman of the Association of Public Health Officers, told Sky News: “The recent rise in sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea is extremely worrying and today’s advice from the JCVI is undoubtedly a prudent course of action. However, this increase in numbers is also a result of more people visiting clinics and other diagnostic services for testing, which has led to higher demand for sexual health services.”
“As we said in June, we are concerned that the current level of funding for sexual health services provided by public health grants in England will not be able to meet this increase in demand. The new vaccination program will therefore be planned with this in mind and backed by appropriate funding and resources to ensure that existing services remain intact and people can be vaccinated in a timely and dignified manner as needed.”
Source: news.sky.com
