Chikungunya Vaccine Approved in the United Kingdom

The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced today that it has approved Valneva SE's IXCHIQ® vaccine chikungunya vaccine (live) to protect adults against chikungunya disease.
On February 4, 2025, Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, released a press release stating, "Patient safety is our top priority, which is why I am pleased to confirm the approval of the first vaccine in the UK to protect adults 18 years and older against Chikungunya disease."
This approval is essential as about 900,000 U.K. travelers visit India annually, and over five years, India recorded the second-highest number of chikungunya cases worldwide.
Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), commented in a press release on February 5, 2025, "Today's MHRA approval of Valneva's IXCHIQ® vaccine is an important step forward in protecting UK citizens traveling to affected countries—but the fight is not over."
"Our work now focuses on expanding access to vaccine doses, at an affordable price, in those endemic regions."
"As a major investor in CEPI, the UK Government is providing vital support to advance this goal, helping to make the vaccine accessible to those in Low- and Low-income countries who are most at risk from the disease while also protecting their population."
The IXCHIQ® vaccine has already been approved in the United States, Europe, and Canada.
Note: This news article was updated on Feb. 5, 2025, to include CEPI's quote.
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