SCOTLAND plans to roll out a vaccine drive against gonorrhoea, following a rise in cases after the pandemic.
The country registered 5,999 infections in 2023, a 59 per cent rise from before the Covid pandemic.
Gonorrhoea is now the second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Scotland.
It is a bacterial infection transmitted through unprotected sex, and in some rare cases, it can be life-threatening.
The vaccination drive will begin in August and will be funded by the Scottish government.
Those eligible include gay and bisexual men, and those involved in selling or exchanging sex, regardless of gender.
Public health minister Jenny Minto said the campaign was "urgent and timely since the number of diagnoses has been high and the disease is becoming increasingly difficult to treat with antibiotics".
"The science tells us that this vaccine will potentially protect thousands of people and prevent the spread of infection," she added.
The Scottish government said the vaccine was 30-40 per cent effective and will be offered in clinics.
Dr Sam Ghebrehewet, head of the vaccination and immunisation division at Public Health Scotland, said they are working with the Scottish government and NHS boards to finalise plans for the vaccine rollout.
Those affected by gonorrhoea are treated with a single dose of antibiotics, but the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea repeatedly evolves resistance to antibiotics.
Harry McQuillan, Chairman of Numark