“FDA Greenlights Historic Breakthrough: First-Ever Chikungunya Vaccine Approved for Adults 18 and Older”
On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States approved the first vaccination to protect against the chikungunya virus, which is largely spread to humans through mosquito bites. With at least 5 million instances documented over the previous 15 years, experts claim that the virus is an increasing global health issue. As such, the vaccine, Ixchiq, was licensed for those 18 years of age and older who are at an elevated risk of exposure to the virus.
According to experts, the areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and portions of the Americas that are tropical or subtropical, where the virus-carrying mosquitoes are endemic, have the highest risk of infection. However, officials stated in a release that the chikungunya virus has traveled elsewhere, increasing the number of cases of the illness worldwide.