Vaccinations Target Three Sexually Transmitted Infections in England

To reduce the incidence of three sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the United Kingdom has recently announced the launch of an innovative vaccination campaign, scheduled to begin in August 2025, before the start of the fall semester. 

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), routine mpox and gonorrhoea vaccination programs will soon focus primarily on men who are at a higher risk of acquiring mpox and gonorrhea infections.

This letter, dated June 13, 2025, provides the necessary information to implement the expanded pre-exposure vaccination program. Mpox (Imvanex®, JYNNEOS) and 4CMenB (Bexsero®) vaccines can be administered with or at any interval before or after all other vaccines.

Additionally, staff should identify opportunities where the vaccines can be co-administered or offered alongside other vaccines, such as the Human papillomavirus (HPV).

Dr. Hamish Mohammed, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, commented in a recent press release, "Levels of STIs in this country remain a big threat to sexual wellbeing. These infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners."

The UKHSA also warns that variations in geographical coverage of the HPV vaccine in adolescents across England are leaving young women in some areas with less protection against cervical and some other cancers.

Research has shown that receiving the HPV vaccine before age 16 provides significantly stronger immune responses and greater protection against HPV-related cancers.

While early vaccination is optimal, getting an HPV vaccination later as part of the catch-up program still provides strong protection against HPV-related cancers, says the UKHSA.

Overall, new data shows that sexually transmitted diagnoses in England continued to decrease.

Encouragingly, there was a 16% drop in gonorrhoea cases, compared to 2023. The fall has been most significant among young people aged 15 to 24 years, with a 36% reduction in diagnoses; however, it is too soon to conclude whether this trend will continue.

In the first episode, the diagnosis of genital warts decreased by 4% in 2024 compared to 2023. Diagnoses of genital warts remained low amongst 15 to 17-year-olds, the age group targeted for school-based HPV vaccination.

Worldwide HPV vaccination coverage for one dose of HPV is approximately 47% among young women.

Despite the declines in some STIs, cases remain high, and STIs continue to impact young people significantly.

The complete routine immunisation schedule in the UK was updated on June 3, 2025.