Chikungunya vaccine restricted for older adults

The IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine is no longer recommended for use in adults aged over 60 or for individuals with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease in the UK.

The decision was announced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 11 February 2026, following recommendations by the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) – the government’s independent expert advisory committee.

The CHM concluded that the benefits of vaccination remain favourable for individuals at risk of chikungunya infection who are aged 18–59 years and who do not have any of the contraindicated conditions.

It’s recommended that trained healthcare professionals conduct a comprehensive benefit risk assessment before offering the IXCHIQ vaccine to any patient. Furthermore, caution is advised when vaccinating individuals with two or more underlying chronic health conditions.

As a precaution, the vaccine should be given at least 30 days before travel to ensure that if any serious adverse reactions occur the individual is still in the UK with appropriate access to healthcare, and there are no language barriers.

The decision to restrict the use of the IXCHIQ vaccine is based on global safety data, where 28 cases of serious adverse reactions have been reported, of which three had a fatal outcome.

Chikungunya virus is typically found in the subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, and the Pacific region, and is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito.

Nevertheless, locally-acquired chikungunya infections are being increasingly reported in Europe and this rise is expected to continue as a consequence of climate change.

Following global reports of serious adverse events in older people, the CHM first temporarily restricted use of the IXCHIQ vaccine in people aged 65 and over in June 2025.