The UK marketing authorisation for IXCHIQ, a chikungunya vaccine used for some adults travelling to high-risk areas, has been withdrawn after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) concluded that its benefits no longer outweighed its risks. The decision followed advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and a review of post-authorisation safety data.
The regulator’s notice, dated 20 October, says the vaccine is being removed from the UK market. Clinicians must not prescribe, supply or administer it, and should dispose of remaining stock under local policies. References to IXCHIQ as an available UK vaccination option should also be removed from relevant materials and systems.
What the safety review found
Since authorisation, serious adverse reactions have been reported, including chikungunya-like symptoms and rare neurological events such as encephalitis. The MHRA says these reports occurred predominantly among older adults and people with underlying medical conditions, but some involved people with no known health conditions. Some cases led to hospitalisation or death.
These are reports of suspected adverse reactions; the notice does not claim that every event was proven to have been caused by vaccination. Nor does the withdrawal mean that everyone previously vaccinated is considered at risk. The MHRA says people who received IXCHIQ and did not experience side effects face no risk from this regulatory decision and do not need another vaccination or other medical intervention because of it.
Anyone who has previously received the vaccine and experienced a suspected side effect should seek medical advice. Patients, carers and clinicians are also asked to report suspected reactions through the Yellow Card scheme, which collects safety reports about medicines and vaccines.
Advice for travellers and clinicians
For people travelling from the UK to places where chikungunya is circulating, the regulator advises considering alternative preventive measures. These include other available chikungunya vaccines, avoiding mosquito bites with measures such as repellent or netting, and following current health-related travel advice. The update does not advise travellers to forgo prevention; it directs clinicians to consider options other than IXCHIQ.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral infection. The vaccine was a live attenuated product, meaning it used a weakened form of the virus, and was indicated for adults travelling to high-risk areas. The withdrawal came after an earlier set of restrictions: in February 2026, the MHRA said IXCHIQ was no longer recommended for people over 60 and for people with certain underlying conditions. The current decision goes further by removing its UK authorisation altogether.
A professional pharmacy update published on 20 October confirmed the withdrawal and the instruction to stop prescribing, supplying and administering the vaccine. Independent clinical reporting likewise described the action as following the MHRA review and CHM advice. Those accounts corroborate the regulatory change; the safety conclusions and specific instructions remain the MHRA’s.
The practical distinction is between stopping future use and responding to past vaccination. Clinics should remove IXCHIQ from current options and manage remaining stock, while people who had it without side effects do not need to take action solely because authorisation was withdrawn. A suspected reaction is different: medical advice and reporting remain appropriate. The decision is about the regulator’s current assessment of the balance for UK use, not a finding that every previous dose harmed recipients.
