A travel vaccine has been “temporarily restricted” for those aged 65 and over after two deaths were reported after receiving the jab, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) yesterday (June 9) announced.
The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) has “temporarily paused” the chikungunya vaccine IXCHIQ as a “precautionary measure” while the MHRA conducts a safety review into the vaccine, it said.
Read more: ‘Baby harm’: MHRA issues weight loss jab pregnancy warning
The licence for IXCHIQ, which was only approved for adults in February and is not yet available in the UK, has been restricted following global data highlighting “23 cases of serious adverse reactions” in people aged from 62 to 89 who had the vaccine, it added.
These serious reactions included “two cases reporting a fatal outcome”, it said.
The MHRA confirmed that there are “no changes” for adults aged 18 to 64 in receiving the IXCHIQ vaccine.
Rising cases
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is found in the subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Southeast Asia, India and the Pacific Region, it said.
CHIKV is spread by an infected mosquito bite but it cannot be passed from human to human, it added.
Symptoms including fever and severe pain in joints typically resolve within seven to 10 days and “most patients make a full recovery”, the MHRA said.
Read more: ‘Discoloured’ paracetamol recalled over contamination fears
But in some cases, joint pain and arthritis persist for months or years and a small number of people may develop “severe acute disease” leading to “multiorgan failure and death”, it added.
Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, there were 112 chikungunya cases reported in 2024 - more than double the 45 cases reported in 2023 - according to UK Heath Security Agency (UKHSA) research published in March.
Last month (May 1), the MHRA announced that it had also approved another vaccine called Vimkunya to prevent disease from CHIKV for those aged 12 or older.
Read more: DH ‘exploring’ NHS childhood flu jab rollout in pharmacies
It comes as a manufacturer yesterday recalled two batches of paracetamol following complaints from healthcare professionals of “discoloured” tablets.
Last week, the MHRA warned that Mounjaro can “reduce” contraception effectiveness – and that it is unknown whether weight loss jabs “could cause harm to [a] baby” – amid concerns over unsafe usage.
And the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) last month said that NHS England (NHSE) is “exploring the use” of community pharmacies to deliver the childhood flu national immunisation programme.
