Chikungunya vaccine temporarily paused in people aged 65+ in UK

Following global reports of serious adverse events in older people, the government’s independent expert advisory body, the UK’s Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), has temporarily restricted use of a chikungunya vaccine called Ixchiq in people aged 65 and over until a further safety review has been concluded.

This is a precautionary measure while the MHRA conducts the safety review, and follows similar decision last month by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The MHRA is working with the manufacturer of the Ixchiq vaccine, French specialty vaccine maker Valneva (Euronext Paris: VLA). This vaccine was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in February 2025. There will be no impact on operational issues as this vaccine is not yet available in the UK and therefore there is no immediate safety concern.