Chikungunya Vaccine Approved By US: US health officials on Thursday (November 9) approved the world’s first vaccine for chikungunya. This virus is spread by infected mosquitoes, which has been described as an emerging global health threat. The FDA said that Europe’s Valneva has prepared the vaccine. This vaccine has been named Ixchik. It will be given to those aged 18 years and above.
Ixchiq getting the green signal from the US drug regulator is expected to speed up the rollout of the vaccine in countries where there is a higher risk of the virus. Chikungunya is a type of fever, which causes severe joint pain. It is mostly spread in Africa, South East Asia and some parts of America.
spread of chikungunya virus
The US Drug Regulatory (FDA) said that the chikungunya virus has spread to new geographical areas, leading to the global spread of the disease. More than 50 lakh cases of chikungunya have been reported in the last 15 years. Senior FDA official Peter Marks said in a statement that chikungunya virus infection can cause serious illness and long-term health problems.
This can be especially dangerous for older adults and people having serious medical treatment. He said the vaccine has been approved in view of medical necessity. This would prove effective in preventing potentially serious disease with limited treatment options.
Clinical test on 3,500 people in North America
The vaccine is injected in a single dose. It contains a live and weakened variant of Chikungunya virus. It exactly matches the standards of other vaccines. Let us tell you that two clinical tests were conducted on 3,500 people in North America. Due to this vaccine, headache, fatigue, pain in muscles and joints, fever reduced in people. In tests, serious reactions were recorded in 1.6 percent of those who received the Ixchiq vaccine, two of whom required hospitalization.
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