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A travel vaccine has been taken off the UK market. If you have already had it, you do not need to do anything

Qurexa Editorial Team21 October 20267 min read 0 0
A travel vaccine has been taken off the UK market. If you have already had it, you do not need to do anything

What happened

On 20 October 2026 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced that the UK marketing authorisation for IXCHIQ has been withdrawn. IXCHIQ is a vaccine against chikungunya, a virus spread by mosquito bites. The vaccine is being removed from the UK market. The decision was taken on the advice of the Commission on Human Medicines, an independent expert group that advises UK ministers on medicines. After reviewing the evidence, the MHRA concluded that the balance between the benefits and the risks of IXCHIQ is "no longer considered favourable". IXCHIQ is a live attenuated vaccine. That means it contains a weakened form of the virus. It was licensed for adults travelling to parts of the world where chikungunya is common. The MHRA said serious side effects had been reported. Some people developed symptoms that looked like chikungunya itself. A small number had rare problems affecting the brain and nervous system, including encephalitis, which is swelling of the brain. Most of these cases were in older adults and in people who already had other health conditions. But some happened in people with no known health problems. Some cases led to a stay in hospital, and some led to death. The advice to health professionals is clear. They must no longer prescribe, supply or give IXCHIQ. Any stock left must be disposed of under local rules. Clinics and travel health services must update their systems and leaflets so the vaccine is no longer offered. The advice to the public is just as clear, and much more reassuring. If you have already had IXCHIQ and had no side effects, you do not need another vaccine and you do not need any treatment.

Why this matters

Chikungunya is not a minor illness. It causes a sudden high fever and joint pain that can be severe. For some people the joint pain lasts months or even years. There is no specific cure, so prevention matters. That is why a vaccine was welcome news when it arrived. It is also why withdrawing one is a serious step. A regulator does not pull a licensed vaccine lightly. This decision matters most to a specific group of people: adults planning trips to areas where chikungunya spreads. That includes parts of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, South America and the Indian Ocean. Earlier this year, mosquito-borne chikungunya cases were also reported in southern Europe. If you were planning to ask for this vaccine before a trip, the answer will now be no, and you will need a different plan. It also matters as a sign that the safety system is working. In the UK, a vaccine or medicine does not get a licence and then disappear from view. Reports of suspected side effects keep arriving through the Yellow Card scheme, and they are reviewed. Sometimes that review adds a warning to the leaflet. Occasionally, as here, it ends the product's licence. That is the system behaving exactly as it is supposed to. It is not comfortable to read about. It is better than the alternative.

What the evidence actually says

It is worth being precise about what the MHRA has and has not said. The MHRA has said that serious adverse reactions were reported after IXCHIQ, that these included chikungunya-like illness and rare neurological events such as encephalitis, and that some cases led to hospital admission or death. It has said that most reports involved older adults and people with underlying conditions, but not all. The Drug Safety Update notice does not publish a count of cases or reports. So nobody should put a number on it, and we will not. It is also important to understand what a "live attenuated" vaccine is, because it explains the shape of the concern. A live vaccine uses a weakened version of the real virus to train the immune system. For most people that works safely. For a minority, especially those whose immune systems are weaker, a weakened virus can still cause illness. That is the known trade-off with this kind of vaccine, and it is why the expert review focused on who was being harmed. What the MHRA has not said is that people who already had the jab are at ongoing risk. Its advice is the opposite: no revaccination and no treatment are needed because of this decision. If you did have a side effect after IXCHIQ, that is different, and you should get medical advice. Finally, the MHRA has not said that chikungunya protection is now impossible. Its notice tells health professionals to discuss alternatives with travellers, including other chikungunya vaccines and avoiding mosquito bites in the first place.

Qurexa perspective

Most people reading this will not have had IXCHIQ. Travel vaccines are a small corner of healthcare. But the wider habit this story points to is one we see every day: the person best placed to answer a quick medicines question is often your pharmacist. If you are not sure what you were given before a trip, your records will say. If you had a reaction to any vaccine or medicine and never reported it, it can still be reported through the Yellow Card scheme, and a pharmacist can help you do that. Qurexa delivers prescriptions and supports people in Lincolnshire with taking their medicines as prescribed. We are not a travel clinic and we do not give vaccines. We mention this only because the useful action here is small and free: ask someone qualified, rather than guess.

Practical advice

If you have already had IXCHIQ and felt fine afterwards: you do not need to do anything. No booster, no treatment, no appointment. If you had symptoms after having it that worried you: speak to your GP or pharmacist. You can also report a suspected side effect yourself through the Yellow Card website or app. You do not need to be certain the vaccine caused it to report it. If you are planning a trip to an area where chikungunya spreads: book a travel health appointment early, ideally six to eight weeks before you go. Ask what protection is available now that IXCHIQ has gone. Check the National Travel Health Network and Centre site, TravelHealthPro, for the country you are visiting. Whatever happens with vaccines, bite prevention still does a lot of the work. The mosquito that spreads chikungunya bites during the day, not just at dusk. Use an insect repellent containing DEET, cover arms and legs where you can, and sleep under a net or in air-conditioned rooms where that is an option. If you take regular medicines, pack them in your hand luggage with a copy of your prescription, and take more than you think you need.

What to know

The MHRA withdrew the UK licence for the chikungunya vaccine IXCHIQ on 20 October 2026, on the advice of the Commission on Human Medicines, after deciding the benefits no longer outweighed the risks. Reported harms included chikungunya-like illness and rare brain and nerve problems, mostly but not only in older people and those with other conditions. Health professionals must stop giving it. People who have already had it, and were fine, need no action at all. Travellers heading to affected areas should book a travel health appointment and ask what is available instead, and should take mosquito bite prevention seriously either way. Sources: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, "IXCHIQ Chikungunya vaccine: UK marketing authorisation withdrawn following safety review", Drug Safety Update, 20 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/ixchiq-chikungunya-vaccine-uk-marketing-authorisation-withdrawn-following-safety-review ; Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, "Drug Safety Update" (volume 20, issue 3), 20 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update ; MHRA, "Yellow Card scheme", https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.

#MHRA#chikungunya#travel vaccines#vaccine safety#Yellow Card#travel health

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