VACCINES
After years without specific preventive tools, two vaccines have now been authorized in certain countries to prevent infection with the chikungunya virus:
Ixchiq ®
- Manufacturer: Valneva SE
- Type of vaccine: Live attenuated virus (ECSA/IOL genotype)
- Dose: Single intramuscular dose (0.5 mL)
- Indicated for people over 18 years of age at risk of exposure to the chikungunya virus
- Approval: authorized by the FDA (US) in 2023, EU (June 2024), UK,
- Canada, and Brazil. In Europe, indicated for ages 12 and older; in the US and other countries, ages 18 and older
- Efficacy: High immunogenicity with seroconversion >98% after a single dose; documented long-lasting protection
- Safety: in May 2025, the FDA, CDC, and EMA temporarily suspended its use in people over 60–65 years of age due to serious adverse events, including some deaths; in July 2025, the EMA lifted the restriction based on a new benefit-risk assessment, recommending its use only after individual assessment in people over that age.
Vimkunya®
- Manufacturer: Bavarian Nordic A/S
- Vaccine type: Virus-like particles (VLP), does not contain genetic material from the virus → non-replicating
- Dose: Single intramuscular dose (0.8 mL)
- Approval: Approved by the FDA (February 2025) for people aged 12 and over, and also in the EU and UK (February–May 2025)
- Efficacy: 97.8% seropositivity in participants aged 12–64 and 87% in those over 65, after a single dose
- Safety: does not use attenuated virus, so it can be considered safer for older people, pregnant women, or immunocompromised individuals.