As Chikungunya Spreads Worldwide, FDA Halts Use of U.S.

The United States' first FDA-approved vaccine against chikungunya, a painful mosquito-borne virus spreading across more than 110 countries, is now off the U.S. market after regulators suspended its license over safety concerns.

The FDA announced the suspension of Ixchiq on August 22, citing four new cases of severe side effects that resembled chikungunya-like illness . These cases were reported through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and occurred outside the U.S. Three of the cases involved older adults between the ages of 70 and 82, including one hospitalization and the fourth case involved a 55-year-old patient.

The suspension requires Valneva SE, the French company that manufactures Ixchiq, to immediately stop shipments and sales of the vaccine in the U.S. The dec