Vaccines rushed to French island amid major Chikungunya outbreak
Tens of thousands of jabs have been rushed to France's Réunion Island to fight a major outbreak of Chikungunya that has killed two people and put dozens in hospital.
Nearly three thousand cases of the mosquito-borne virus, which causes debilitating joint pain, were reported in the first week of March alone, bringing the total to 8,750 since the disease began spreading in August last year.
It is the worst outbreak of Chikungunya on the island – a part of France located in the Indian Ocean – since 2005, when about a third of the population were infected, killing 225.
In an effort to contain the spiralling infections, Valneva, a French biotech company, responded to a French government request and sent 40,000 doses of its Chikungunya vaccine to the overseas territory.
Juan Carlos Jaramillo, Valneva's chief medical officer, said it has 'the capacity to supply more [vaccine] doses' and is 'working closely' with regional officials to prevent the virus from spreading internationally.
'Chikungunya outbreaks spread rapidly, so it is crucial to vaccinate as many people as possible to help contain the virus,' he said in a statement.
The vaccine will be rolled out on Réunion Island from the start of April, according to the European Centres of Disease Control (ECDC).
The vaccine drive will target the most vulnerable, including those who are over 65, people working in vector control and anyone with severe co-morbidities over the age of 18.
A team of 150 health workers has been deployed to carry out daily fumigation operations and an emergency epidemic response has been activated on the island, according to the local authorities.
In 2023, the Valneva vaccine, known as Ixchiq, became the first chikungunya jab to gain regulatory approval by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
While the vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection, there are currently no specific antibody treatments for Chikungunya.
The disease is rarely fatal but causes similar symptoms to dengue and Zika virus – including fever, swelling, headaches, fatigue and rashes.
Like dengue and Zika, Chikungunya is spread by the Aedes mosquito. It gets its name from a word in the Kimakonde language spoken in southern Tanzania which means 'to become contorted' and describes the stooped appearance of those afflicted with it.
The number of cases on Réunion Island has 'increased sharply' in recent weeks, according to the ECDC. Most of them are concentrated in the south of the island, particularly in the Le Tampon region.
Local media reported last week that an 86-year-old and a 96-year-old had died from the virus, adding that one of the victims had underlying health conditions. At least 24 people have required treatment in hospital.
Chikungunya is seen as an emerging global health threat, as warming global temperatures allow mosquitoes to thrive in new areas and spread the infection further than the subtropical regions it is usually found.
The outbreak comes less than a month after Réunion was ravaged by the strongest cyclone in 30 years. Three people were killed by the tropical storm.
Prof Lance Turtle, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Liverpool, said 'time will tell if there is a definitive link' between the two events, but said it was 'plausible'.
'We don't fully understand what drives chikungunya outbreaks, but climate and temperature can influence this,' he told The Telegraph.
'If there was lots of standing fresh water left over after the cyclone, which is likely, then mosquito populations can increase and that can help drive an outbreak.'
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