Restricted Use of Live Attenuated Chikungunya Vaccine (IXCHIQ) for People 60+
This message is being sent to members of the Wisconsin Travel Health Network, Tribal health directors, local health officers, local health department nurses, Wisconsin vaccinators, and key DHS staff.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advise the live-attenuated chikungunya vaccine should not be used among people 60 years and older until reports of serious adverse events are further investigated.
Over the past few months, the CDC and FDA investigated six serious adverse events, including five hospitalizations, for cardiac or neurologic events following vaccination with IXCHIQ among older people. This topic was discussed at the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting on April 16, 2025. Since then, the CDC and FDA have become aware of additional reports of serious adverse events among people aged 62 to 89 years following the use of the vaccine in other countries, leading to the CDC and FDA recommending a pause in use for people aged 60 years and older while investigations continue.
Additional action items for healthcare providers
- Report any adverse event following vaccination to VAERS.
- Review the latest CDC Travel Health Notices for information on areas with chikungunya outbreaks.
- Counsel patients traveling to areas with risk of chikungunya on how they can prevent mosquito bites.
- Refer to the package inserts for information on the two chikungunya vaccines now licensed in the United States: IXCHIQ and VIMKUNYA.
- Discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with your patients based on each traveler’s destination, trip duration, and age.
About chikungunya
Chikungunya virus infection can cause significant illness with fever and joint pain, which can be severe and disabling. Chikungunya is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus is not endemic (continually present) in the continental United States, but outbreaks have occurred in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There is a risk the virus can spread to unaffected areas by infected travelers. Travelers can take steps to protect themselves from chikungunya by preventing mosquito bites.
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