Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium that is transmitted during sex. STD is treated with antibiotics, but it is becoming more and more resistant. That is why we are now looking into vaccinations.
Nose spray
Although research is already underway in several parts of the world, there is still no gonorrhea vaccine on the market. The Intravacc vaccine should change that. It is administered via nasal spray.
The most common sexually transmitted diseases
Gonorrhea is number 4 of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the Netherlands. The first three places are occupied by chlamydia, genital warts and herpes, respectively.
Bron: RIVM
The vaccine was found to be effective in animal experiments. “We are still at the beginning of the process,” Intravacc’s Mirjam Hartman tells Editie NL. “We still have to investigate how much you need it and if you have to administer the vaccine multiple times. In 2025 we will test whether it is also safe for humans.”
Antibiotics
People with gonorrhea in the Netherlands are still safe, says Hanna Bos, an infectious disease control doctor at Soa Aids Nederland. “Antibiotics here still work very well against gonorrhea, but in other countries the bacteria are becoming more and more resistant. We expect that resistance will increase more and more, so that the antibiotics work less well. In the Netherlands too.”
Vaccines against other sexually transmitted diseases
That’s why he believes it’s a good thing there is a vaccine. “Vaccines are also being developed for other sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, chlamydia and herpes,” he tells Editie NL.
There are already vaccinations against HPV and hepatitis B. “They work very well and are extremely important, because they prevent a lot of suffering. The fact that a vaccine for gonorrhea is now also being examined is very positive.”
