Valneva (VALN) announced on Friday that the U.K. regulators have updated recommendations for the use of its chikungunya vaccine, Ixchiq, restricting its use in older adults due to reports of serious adverse events related to the single-dose shot.
The revised recommendations from the United Kingdom’s Commission on Human Medicines suggest that Ixchiq continues to offer a favorable benefit–risk profile in people aged 18–59 years who are without contraindicated conditions but at risk of contracting chikungunya.
However, the CHM has recommended restricting its use in people older than 60 those with specific health conditions such as immunodeficiencies and added timing restrictions for its administration.
In June, pending a safety review, the CHM temporarily suspended the use of the live-attenuated vaccine in people aged 65 years and older after multiple countries reported very rare but fatal reactions.
In 2023, the U.S. FDA approved Ixchiq as the world’s first chikungunya shot, only to suspend its authorization last August due to safety concerns.