Meningococcal B vaccine for the prevention of gonorrhoea

Page last reviewed 28.1.2026

In July 2025, the National Health Service (NHS) gave guidance on using the meningococcal B vaccine to help prevent gonorrhoea in England. The guidance applies to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.

This page is based on NHS guidance currently used in England regarding the meningococcal B vaccine. In Finland, there is no official guidance on using the meningococcal B vaccine to prevent gonorrhoea.

Meningococcal B vaccine for the prevention of gonorrhoea – guidance in England

Gonorrhoea is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is spread through unprotected sex. The meningococcal B vaccine, MenB vaccine, brand name Bexsero, provides around 30% to 40% protection against gonorrhoea. The vaccine also helps to stop it spreading. However, the vaccine does not provide full protection against gonorrhoea. In Finland, there are also other meningococcal vaccines on the market that not effective at all against gonorrhea.

The Meningococcal B vaccine provides around 30 to 40% protection against gonorrhoea.

In England, the MenB vaccine is offered to men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting gonorrhea. The vaccine may be beneficial for men who have recently been diagnosed with gonorrhoea or another bacterial STI (such as chlamydia or syphilis), as well as for those who have had multiple sexual partners in the past three months.

According to the NHS, sex workers may also benefit from the vaccine if they have unprotected sex.

The meningococcal bacterium (Neisseria meningitidis) and the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) are closely related. Although the MenB vaccine (Bexsero) is primarily designed to protect against meningococcal infections (meningitis and septicaemia), studies have shown that the vaccine can also provide some protection against gonorrhoea.

The MenB vaccine provides around 30 to 40% protection against gonorrhoea. This means that individuals who receive the vaccine may have a reduced risk of getting gonorrhoea compared to those who are not vaccinated.

How the MenB vaccine for gonorrhoea is given

You need two doses of the vaccine for protection. The second dose must be given at least 4 weeks after the first dose. The second dose can also be given later, for example three or six months after the first dose. The vaccine is given by injection, usually in the upper arm.

It takes some time for protection to develop. It takes at least 2 weeks from your second dose for your body to produce enough antibodies to give you a good level of protection.

After two doses, the vaccine provides about 30–40 % protection against gonorrhoea. This means it does not prevent all infections, but it reduces both the risk of getting gonorrhoea and the risk of passing it on to sexual partners.

The MenB vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines related to STI prevention, such as vaccines for mpox, hepatitis A and B, and HPV. However, fever and other side effects are more common when the vaccine is given together with other vaccines.

Although the MenB vaccine only provides about 30–40 % protection against gonorrhoea, it does protect against serious infections caused by meningococcal group B, such as meningitis and sepsis.

How to get the MenB vaccine

In Finland, the MenB vaccine (Bexsero) can be purchased privately. You need a doctor’s prescription to get the vaccine from a pharmacy. The price of one dose is approximately 135 euros (price checked in November 2025). You can check the current price here.

You need to book an appointment at your local health centre for the vaccination, which is free of charge. You can also get the vaccine at a private clinic and pay for it yourself.

Side effects of the MenB vaccine

Most side effects are mild and temporary. It is common to get some swelling, redness or tenderness where you have the injection. You may also get a mild fever, nausea, headache or muscle aches but these symptoms should disappear after one or 2 days. You can take pain medication such as paracetamol if needed.

Serious reactions, such as anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction), are rare.

General information about the meningococcal vaccine

The meningococcal bacterium can cause serious infections such as meningitis and sepsis, but these are very rare in Finland. For this reason, meningococcal vaccines are not part of the national childhood vaccination programme, unlike in some EU/EEA countries. Instead, the vaccines are offered to people who are at increased risk for various reasons.

In Finland, the meningococcal B vaccine is provided free of charge as part of the national vaccination programme to people who have an increased risk of severe meningococcal infection due to illness or medication.

Asymptomatic gonorrhoea

Typical symptoms may include burning feeling when urinating, the need to urinate more often than usual, yellow discharge from the urethra, increased vaginal discharge and lower stomach pain or painful erection. Gonorrhoea infections of the rectum and throat are usually asymptomatic.

If gonorrhea is not treated, it may cause serious complications, such as inflammation of the testicles, prostate, uterus and ovaries. It may also cause infertility. In Finland, most gonorrhoea infections are diagnosed in men, and most of these infections are from sex between men.

How to protect against STIs?

Condoms, dental dam and lube

Condoms and dental dams protect effectively against gonorrhoea and other STIs. Condoms prevent the transmission of STIs from vaginal and anal intercourse and oral sex. Dental dams prevent STI infections while performing oral sex in the vaginal and anal areas. Lubricants, also known as lubes, can increase pleasure in sex, decreases tearing of the tissues and the risk of condom breaking.

It is good to familiarize yourself with different types of condoms, dental dams and lubes to find your preference for you and your sex partners.

Getting tested for STIs

Many STIs are often asymptomatic, meaning they don’t cause any symptoms. Therefore, the only way to know if you’ve been infected is to get tested. If you have had unprotected sex with casual partners and are at risk of STIs, you should get tested regularly.

If you have an STI, it can be treated effectively, which also helps stop it from spreading to sex partners. Talk to your sex partners about getting tested and let them know if they may have been exposed to an STI. 

Learn more about Hivpoint’s STI testing services

DoxyPEP for prevention of Chlamydia and syphilis after exposure

In recent years, there has been international discussion about whether antibiotics could be used to prevent bacterial STIs. The broadspectrum antibiotic called doxycycline has been studied for postexposure prevention of chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea. 

Doxycycline can be used to prevent chlamydia and syphilis after exposure. However, it is not very effective against the strain of gonorrhea found in Finland and Europe!

In the United States and the United Kingdom, there is guidance on using doxycycline (doxyPEP) to prevent STIs after unprotected sex. In Finland, there are currently no official recommendations for using doxyPEP.