The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved Ixchiq, the first vaccine against the Chikungunya virus, for marketing. Developed by Valneva, Ixchiq is a single-dose vaccine designed for individuals 18 years and older. This approval comes on the heels of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP)’s endorsement of the vaccine’s dissemination throughout Europe, marking a pivotal advancement in its accessibility to European citizens.
Chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, manifests as fever and joint pain and is not native to Europe. Typically, cases are linked to travelers infected in other parts of the globe. While the disease is endemic to numerous subtropical regions and frequently causes epidemics, evidence suggests its expansion to continental areas due to climate change, according to scientific reports.
