Chikungunya

Aquamarine Health Clinic will now have in stock one of the new vaccines to prevent Chikungunya.

Vimkunya® was approved in the UK on the 1st of May 2025 - it is used to protect adults and children over the age of 12 years old. This is a recombinant unattenuated DNA vaccine (NOT Live).  1 single dose of 0.8ml is given intramuscularly.

 We will not presently be stocking the Live Vaccine IXCHIQ®

Facts:

1.           Chikungunya was identified in the 1950’s and was mainly located in Asia and Africa. However, since an epidemic in 2004 and there has been a huge increase in global numbers, and it has spread to over 100 countries

2.           Since the beginning of 2025 until July, approximately 240 000 CHIKVD cases and 90 CHIKVD-related deaths have been reported in 16 countries/territories globally.

3.           Two countries in Europe have reported cases of chikungunya in 2025, the cumulative number of locally acquired cases in France has reached 301 and in Italy is 107

4.           It is transmitted via the bite of the Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito, which mainly bite in the day

5.           The keys symptoms are a rapid onset of fever with potentially crippling joint and muscle pains, which can remain for months or even years. Up to 12% of patients still experiencing discomfort 3 years after infection

6.           There is no cure and only symptom control can be offered

7.           The key method of prevention is insect bite avoidance, by using clothing and insect repellent. However, for those at greatest risk there are now 2 licensed vaccines in the UK, IXCHIQ and Vimkunya.