About chikungunya
What is chikungunya?
Chikungunya (chik-un-GUN-yuh) is a potentially life-altering, mosquito-borne, viral disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The name “chikungunya” comes from the African Kimakonde language meaning “to become contorted” due to the stooped appearance of those with persistent chikungunya-related joint pain.1
Countries where CHIKV cases have been reported2
Mosquito-borne chikungunya has been reported in over 110 countries2
75% of the world’s population is estimated to live in areas at risk of chikungunya3
Areas of greatest risk for travelers are the Americas, parts of Africa, and Southeast Asia2
Clinical manifestation
97 %
Up to 97% of those infected with CHIKV are symptomatic3
Acute phase
The acute phase is most often characterized by a sudden onset of high fever and joint pain3
Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, red eyes, nausea, vomiting, or rash3
3-7 days
symptoms typically begin after a bite from an infected mosquito3
5-7 days
virus is present in the bloodstream4
7-10 days
acute symptoms typically resolve3
Chronic phase
~43 %
~43% of those infected do not recover from the acute phase and have debilitating consequences that last for months or years3,5
The chronic phase can affect even more patients
Although the rate of long-term symptoms differed per study, each study highlighted the physical and potentially long-term burden of chikungunya in some patients6,7
78.6 %
In one report, up to 78.6% of patients surveyed had persistent muscle and joint symptoms after 2 years6
57 %
In another report, 57% of patients were still affected 2.5 years after disease onset7
Severe joint pain from CHIKV can last for months or years following infection3
Travelers you should consider for vaccination
Frequent travelers of
chikungunya-endemic areas
People moving to
chikungunya-endemic countries
Spontaneous travelers with unplanned itineraries
Short-term travelers with increased risk based on planned activity and time of travel
Long-term travelers
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References: 1. Chikungunya. World Health Organization. Published December 8, 2022. Accessed July 26, 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chikungunya 2. Areas at risk for chikungunya. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 21, 2023. Accessed July 26, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/geo/index.html 3. Staples JE, Hills S, Powers A. Chapter 4: Chikungunya. In: Nemhauser J, ed. CDC Yellow Book 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated May 1, 2023. Accessed July 26, 2023. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/infections-diseases/chikungunya 4. Weaver SC, Lecuit M. Chikungunya virus and the global spread of a mosquito-borne disease. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(13):1231-1239. 5. Puntasecca CJ, King CH, LaBeaud AD. Measuring the global burden of chikungunya and zika viruses: a systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021;15(3):e0009055. 6. Essackjee K, Goorah S, Ramchurn SK, Cheeneebash J, Walker-Bone K. Prevalence of and risk factors for chronic arthralgia and rheumatoid-like polyarthritis more than 2 years after infection with chikungunya virus. Postgrad Med J. 2013;89(1054):440-447. 7. Doran C, Elsinga J, Fokkema A, et al. Long-term chikungunya sequelae and quality of life 2.5 years post-acute disease in a prospective cohort in Curaçao. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022;16(3):e0010142.
INDICATION
IXCHIQ is a vaccine indicated for the prevention of disease caused by chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in individuals 18 years of age and older who are at increased risk of exposure to CHIKV.
This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on anti-CHIKV neutralizing antibody levels. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory studies.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
ContraindicationsDo not administer IXCHIQ to individuals who are immunodeficient or immunosuppressed due to disease or medical therapy (e.g., from hematologic and solid tumors, receipt of chemotherapy, congenital immunodeficiency, long-term immunosuppressive therapy or patients with HIV infection who are severely immunocompromised), or to individuals with a history of a severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine.
Warnings and PrecautionsAppropriate medical treatment used to manage immediate allergic reactions must be available in the event an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of IXCHIQ.
Vaccination with IXCHIQ may cause severe or prolonged chikungunya-like adverse reactions. Severe chikungunya-like adverse reactions that prevented daily activity and/or required medical intervention occurred in 1.6% of 3,082 IXCHIQ recipients and no placebo recipients. Fourteen IXCHIQ recipients had prolonged (duration at least 30 days) chikungunya-like adverse reactions.
Potential for vertical transmission of vaccine virus and fetal/neonatal adverse reactions. Vertical transmission of wild-type CHIKV from pregnant individuals with viremia at delivery is common and can cause potentially fatal CHIKV disease in neonates. It is not known if the vaccine virus can be vertically transmitted and cause fetal or neonatal adverse reactions. Decisions to administer IXCHIQ during pregnancy should take into consideration the individual’s risk of exposure to wild-type CHIKV, gestational age, and risks to the fetus or neonate from vertical transmission of wild-type CHIKV.
Syncope can occur with administration of IXCHIQ. Procedures should be in place to avoid injury from fainting.
IXCHIQ may not protect all individuals who receive the vaccine.
Adverse Reactions In clinical studies, the most common injection site reaction (>10%) was tenderness (11%). The most common systemic adverse reactions (>10%) were headache (32%), fatigue (29%), myalgia (24%), arthralgia (17%), fever (14%), and nausea (11%).
Use in Specific Populations PregnancyThere is a pregnancy registry to monitor outcomes in women exposed to IXCHIQ during pregnancy and it may be reached by contacting OXON Epidemiology at 1-855-417-6214. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of IXCHIQ in pregnant individuals, and human data available from clinical trials with IXCHIQ are insufficient to establish the presence or absence of vaccine-associated risk during pregnancy.
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Valneva at 1-844-349-4276 or VAERS at 1-800-822-7967 or http://vaers.hhs.gov.
Please click here to see full Prescribing Information.