Ixchiq Vaccine For Chikungunya:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States approved the world’s inaugural vaccine for chikungunya.
- This novel vaccine, named Ixchiq and developed by European vaccine manufacturer Valneva, marks a significant leap in combating the chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
- Ixchiq Vaccine is administered as a single dose via injection into the muscle.
- It contains a live, weakened version of the chikungunya virus, potentially causing symptoms akin to the disease in vaccine recipients.
- The vaccine has been approved for administration in people who are 18 years or older, and are at increased risk of exposure to the virus.
What is
Chikungunya:
- Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease. It was first recognized in 1952 during an outbreak in southern Tanzania.
- It is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus that belongs to the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae.
- Symptoms: Chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain, which is often debilitating and varies in duration.
- Dengue and Zika have similar symptoms to chikungunya, making chikungunya easy to misdiagnose.
