The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Valneva’s single-shot vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older who are at increased risk of exposure to the chikungunya virus. Valneva’s vaccine, with the brand name Ixchiq, is the first preventive shot to be approved in the country for the mosquito-borne disease.
“Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ixchiq, the first chikungunya vaccine. Ixchiq is approved for individuals 18 years of age and older who are at increased risk of exposure to chikungunya virus,” the FDA said in a statement on Thursday.
Today, we approved the first chikungunya vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older who are at increased risk of exposure to chikungunya virus. https://t.co/P0vN2yjZzW pic.twitter.com/rLqphefxpV— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) November 9, 2023
Chikungunya virus spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms of infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or a rash. According to FDA, Chikungunya is an emerging global health threat with at least 5 million cases of chikungunya virus infection reported during the past 15 years.
The highest risk of infection is in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Americas where chikungunya virus-carrying mosquitos are endemic. However, chikungunya virus has spread to new geographical areas causing a rise in global prevalence of the disease.
This US approval for the vaccine is based on late-stage trials, which showed the vaccine was able to induce antibody levels that could neutralize the chikungunya virus in 98.9 percent of participants for 28 days post-vaccination. The US health regulator, however, asked the company to conduct a post-marketing study to assess the risk of severe chikungunya-like adverse reactions following administration of Ixchiq.
(With agency inputs)