Guidance

Introduction of new routine mpox and 4CMenB for gonorrhoea vaccination programmes letter

Published 13 June 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-new-routine-mpox-and-4cmenb-for-gonorrhoea-vaccination-programmes-letter/introduction-of-new-routine-mpox-and-4cmenb-for-gonorrhoea-vaccination-programmes-letter

13 June 2025

Dear colleagues,

Introduction of new routine mpox and 4CMenB for gonorrhoea vaccination programmes, primarily for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) at higher risk of acquiring these infections, delivered by local authority commissioned sexual health services from 1 August 2025.

This letter provides the information required to implement the expanded pre-exposure mpox and new 4CMenB for gonorrhoea vaccination programmes primarily targeting GBMSM in sexual health services. There will be a rolling start from 1 August 2025, with all providers offering vaccinations by 1 September 2025.

This letter follows on from the NHS England system letter dated 21 May 2025 and is aimed at those who are responsible for commissioning and delivering vaccination programmes in sexual health services. We encourage you to share this letter and its annexes with all those involved in delivering the programmes in your area.

Key points

Key points about the programmes:

  • both programmes are being commissioned by NHS England working together with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs,) local authorities (including directors of public health), and sexual health service providers
  • eligible individuals are primarily GBMSM who are at highest risk of acquiring these infections, as well as a small number of individuals who are not GBMSM but who have a similar incidence to the eligible GBMSM. Individuals should be identified through sexual health services using markers of high risk of infection, as per the Green Book guidance
  • dependent on eligibility, staff should identify opportunities where the vaccines can be co-administered or offered alongside other vaccines (such as vaccines for Hepatitis A or B or Human papillomavirus (HPV)) to maximise benefit and reduce the time the person remains unprotected and at risk. Mpox (Imvanex®) and 4CMenB (Bexsero®) vaccines can be administered with or at any interval before or after all other vaccines

Information provided in the annexes of this letter to support implementation:

Annexe A provides information and resources for healthcare professionals and commissioners.

Annexe B provides patient facing resources.

For any operational queries, please contact your NHS England regional public health commissioning team. For clinical queries or queries about programme resources, please email immunisation@ukhsa.gov.uk.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the commissioning and operational delivery of the national immunisation programme in England.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Temmink, Director of Vaccination, NHS England

Dr Sema Mandal, Deputy Director of Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STIs and HIV Division, UK Health Security Agency

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