UK vaccine chiefs pause newly approved jab for over 65s
UK vaccine chiefs have suspended a newly approved jab being given to people aged over 65 after reports of two deaths and 21 severe reactions. The vaccine protects against the potentially fatal Chikungunya virus, which is typically found in the subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Southeast Asia , India , the Pacific Region and increasingly in Europe.
The two fatalities occurred in the French overseas department of La Réunion, in the Indian Ocean, where a vaccination campaign is underway following a recent chikungunya outbreak. The two deaths were an 84-year-old man who developed encephalitis—a swelling of the brain—after having an adverse reaction to the vaccine. The other was a 77-year-old man living with Parkinson's disease. He reportedly began finding swallowing increasingly difficult, which is believed to have caused aspiration pneumonia, a serious infection caused by food, saliva and/or vomit entering the lungs rather than the stomach.
The European Medicines Agency, who are reviewing the chikungunya vaccine following the reports, has not yet revealed the time between the dead men receiving the jabs and their deaths. There are no changes in the recommendations for vaccination with IXCHIQ for people aged between 18 and 64. The vaccine is currently not approved for use in individuals with immunodeficiency or immunosuppression as a result of disease or medical therapy.
The decision by the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) is a precautionary measure until a further safety review has been concluded. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is working with the vaccine manufacturer Valneva. The majority of people infected with Chikungunya develop a sudden fever and severe pain in multiple joints (arthralgia).
Occasional cases of eye, neurological and heart complications have been reported, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. A small number of people may develop severe acute disease, which can lead to multiple organ failure and death. Severe symptoms and deaths are rare and usually occur in young babies or elderly people with coexisting health problems. There is no specific antiviral treatment for it but antipyretic and analgesic medications (such as paracetamol) for fever and pain can be used to alleviate these symptoms.
There are currently two vaccinations which protect against the virus; IXCHIQ for those aged between 18 and 64 and Vimkunya for those 12 years and older. A recent outbreak in La Reunion, an overseas department and region of France, saw over 47,500 people contract the virus, with 12 fatalities. In 2024 there were 112 Chikungunya cases reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from travellers arriving to or returning to Britain—this was nearly one-and-a-half times the level recorded in the previous year.
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