Chikungunya Vaccine

mosquitoes that bite during daylight hours. It causes sudden fever and severe joint pain, which is the defining feature of the illness. Most people recover within one to two weeks, but joint pain persists for months or years in around 30 to 40 per cent of those infected. There is no specific treatment. Vaccination and mosquito bite avoidance are the most reliable preventive measures.

Chikungunya is present across tropical and subtropical regions. Endemic areas include the Indian subcontinent (particularly India and Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines), sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Ocean islands (including Réunion), the Caribbean (including Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic), and large parts of Central and South America, including Brazil. It can spread rapidly in areas with no prior population immunity, so current travel health advisories should be checked before departure.

No. Ixchiq is a live attenuated vaccine and is contraindicated in immunocompromised individuals, including those on immunosuppressive medications such as high-dose corticosteroids or biological therapies, people with primary immunodeficiency disorders, and those with HIV who have significantly reduced CD4 counts. It is also not recommended during pregnancy. If you have a condition affecting your immune system, your clinician will advise on appropriate mosquito bite avoidance strategies instead.

Vaccination should ideally be completed at least four weeks before travel, to allow sufficient time for a full immune response to develop. Protection begins to establish from around 28 days after the injection. If your departure is within four weeks, contact us to discuss your options.

No. Ixchiq is not provided on the NHS and is available only through private travel health clinics. As a specialist travel vaccine, not all private providers stock it. We carry Ixchiq at all ten of our clinics across England.

Generally yes. Because Ixchiq is a live attenuated vaccine, your clinician will check whether any other live vaccines are being administered at the same visit. Where multiple live vaccines are planned, they should ideally be given on the same day or separated by at least four weeks. Your clinician will review your complete travel vaccination plan and confirm the appropriate timing.

Ixchiq is currently licensed for adults aged 18 and over only. It has not been approved for children or adolescents. For children travelling to endemic regions, mosquito bite avoidance is the primary protective strategy: DEET-based repellent (appropriate concentration for age), long-sleeved clothing and avoiding outdoor exposure during peak mosquito hours.

Yes. Ixchiq is the world’s first licensed chikungunya vaccine and is available at our private clinics across the UK. It received conditional marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency in 2024. It is a single-dose vaccine suitable for adults aged 18 and over who are not immunocompromised. It is not available on the NHS.

Ixchiq is licensed for adults aged 18 and over. It is appropriate for healthy adults who are not immunocompromised and who are not pregnant. It is particularly relevant for those travelling to endemic or outbreak-affected regions with significant planned outdoor exposure, for those with pre-existing joint conditions who want to reduce the risk of prolonged post-infection arthritis, and for those planning extended stays in areas where chikungunya circulates.

Ixchiq is a single-dose vaccine. One injection provides the full primary course. No booster schedule has been established yet, as the vaccine is recently licensed and long-term duration data is still being generated.

Side effects are generally mild and resolve within a few days. The most commonly reported reactions are headache, fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, mild fever and rash. These reflect the immune response being triggered by the live attenuated vaccine. A small proportion of recipients experience transient mild symptoms similar to a very mild chikungunya-like illness, which resolves without treatment. Serious reactions are uncommon. Your clinician will discuss what to expect before the injection.

Ixchiq is a recently licensed vaccine and long-term duration data is still being collected. Clinical trial results confirm high seroconversion rates 28 days after vaccination and sustained antibody levels in the majority of recipients over at least 12 months. Guidance on booster timing will be updated as additional post-licensure evidence becomes available.

Yes. Ixchiq significantly reduces the risk of chikungunya but is not 100 per cent effective. Mosquito bite avoidance remains important for two additional reasons: Aedes mosquitoes also transmit dengue and Zika, for which no widely available vaccines currently exist; and daytime protection requires a different approach from malaria precautions. Using a DEET-based repellent, wearing long-sleeved clothing and using window screens and fans during the day remain worthwhile precautions alongside vaccination.