A vaccine designed to prevent disease caused by the chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne virus, has been approved in Brazil, an endemic country. Developed by Valneva SE of France, the vaccine IXCHIQ, is intended for individuals 18 years and older. Chikungunya disease, which causes muscle pain and joint swelling, has occurred in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a risk that the virus could spread to unaffected areas by travellers.
