Today, Bavarian Nordic announced the official UK launch of its Vimkunya chikungunya vaccine for individuals aged 12 years and older.
This follows the vaccine's approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in May and the recent advice published on chikungunya from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in July.
Chikungunya is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes in more than 110 countries worldwide, which has similar symptoms to malaria, dengue and Zika.
Outbreaks of the disease are becoming more widespread and unpredictable because of urbanisation, global travel, climate change and mutations in the virus's genome.
Chikungunya has been designated as one of the Top 24 pathogens by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with lab-confirmed and probable cases up 149% in 2024 compared with 2023 in the UK.
This is despite infections being under-reported.
Symptoms of chikungunya include high fever and severe pain in multiple joints, but for more than two in five people, the effects can be chronic, lasting from months to years.
“We’re seeing a clear rise in chikungunya cases coming from popular UK travel destinations and, although it is not widely known amongst the public, in some people the virus can cause prolonged and sometimes severe symptoms,” said Vincent Macias, Country Director, UK, at Bavarian Nordic.
“With no specific treatment for chikungunya available, this launch represents a meaningful step towards expanding access to prevention measures, in addition to bite prevention, for those at risk.”