There are two chikungunya vaccines approved in the UK, and in February 2026 one of them was restricted. The one we use, Vimkunya, was not. That makes chikungunya one of the few travel vaccines where the choice of vaccine changes who can have it.
This guide covers what chikungunya actually does, which is worth understanding because the joint pain can outlast the holiday by years, where the risk really is for UK travellers, and who the vaccine is for. We offer chikungunya vaccination at Evans Pharmacy in Malvern and Claines Pharmacy in Worcester.
Is it worth considering for your trip? Four quick questions
Answer these and you will see the starting point we would work from. It is guidance, not a decision: nothing here can tell you whether the vaccine is suitable for you, and nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
Four quick questions. You will get the starting point we would work from at your consultation, not a decision. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
Guidance focuses on longer stays and regular visits, as well as active outbreaks.
An allergy to a vaccine or a reaction to a previous dose, a weakened immune system or medicines that affect it, pregnancy or breastfeeding.
What chikungunya does
Chikungunya is a viral infection spread by Aedes mosquitoes. The name comes from the Makonde language of Tanzania, where the virus was first identified in the 1950s, and it means roughly “that which bends up”, after the posture of someone doubled over with joint pain. It is a good name.
Symptoms usually appear four to eight days after an infected bite: a sudden high fever, severe joint pain, muscle aches, headache, sensitivity to light and a rash. For most people the illness settles within one to two weeks. The reason travel clinics take it seriously is what happens to a minority afterwards. Joint pain can persist for months or years, most often in the ankles, wrists and hands, and according to the figures NaTHNaC cites, up to 12 per cent of people still have joint pain three years later.
There is no antiviral treatment. Care is rest, fluids and pain relief. Deaths are rare, at roughly one in a thousand cases, and concentrated among babies, the elderly and adults with underlying health problems.
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Where the risk is, and who is actually catching it
Two things stand out in those UK figures. The first is that cases rose by around half between 2023 and 2024. The second is that this is not evenly spread across travellers. Chikungunya in UK residents is heavily concentrated in trips to South Asia, and particularly among people visiting friends and family, who tend to stay longer, stay in homes rather than hotels, and think of the destination as familiar rather than foreign.
Risk areas also change constantly. Outbreaks flare and fade, and the mosquitoes that carry the virus keep extending their range. Thailand is a current example: cases there roughly doubled in 2025, with the north around Chiang Mai hit hardest, which our guide to travel vaccinations for Thailand covers. We check the current position for your destination at your appointment rather than relying on a map printed here.
Bite avoidance protects everyone, vaccine or not
Even with the vaccine, avoiding bites matters. The same mosquitoes also spread dengue and Zika, which no vaccine on this page protects against.
The mosquitoes that spread chikungunya bite during the day, not at night. They are most active in mid-morning and from late afternoon into twilight, which is exactly when people are out sightseeing or sitting outside. A bed net over a bed you sleep in at night does very little against them.
What does help: an effective repellent applied through the daytime and reapplied, covering up in the early morning and late afternoon, and screened or air-conditioned rooms where you can get them. One more thing worth knowing is that these mosquitoes breed in small collections of standing water close to where people live, in flowerpot saucers, buckets, old tyres and water containers. Tipping those out around where you are staying genuinely reduces the number of mosquitoes around you.
The vaccine we use: Vimkunya
Vimkunya, made by Bavarian Nordic, is a virus-like particle vaccine. It contains no live virus: it is built from the structural proteins of the chikungunya virus, which teach the immune system to recognise it, so it cannot cause the infection it protects against. It is given as a single injection, it is licensed in the UK from 12 years of age, and the need for any repeat dose has not yet been established.
What changed in 2026, and why it matters
In February 2026 the MHRA, acting on advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, restricted the other UK chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, after a global safety review identified 28 cases of serious adverse reactions. IXCHIQ is a live vaccine, and it is now not used in anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, or anyone whose immune system is weakened.
The JCVI looked at Vimkunya at the same time and did not consider it necessary to restrict it, while noting that it has not yet been used extensively. That is the honest position: no safety signal has been seen, and like every new vaccine it is under intensive monitoring by the MHRA.
Who can have it
The conditions that now rule out IXCHIQ do not, on current guidance, rule out Vimkunya. That means it may be an option for travellers with long-term conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, for teenagers from 12 years of age, and for travellers aged 60 and over, none of whom could have had the other vaccine.
If you were told earlier this year that you could not have a chikungunya vaccine because of a health condition, it is worth asking again.
You should not have Vimkunya if you are allergic to any of its ingredients, or if you have had an allergic reaction to a previous dose. If your immune system is weakened, including by medicines that affect it, your response to the vaccine may be weaker, so tell us about everything you take. As with any injection, some people feel faint when it is given.
Whether it is right for you is decided at consultation, where we go through your health, your medicines and your trip. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are assessed individually.
Who the vaccine is considered for
Even among eligible travellers, chikungunya vaccination is not routine for every trip. Current guidance points to three groups in particular: travellers heading to regions with an active outbreak, long-term or frequent travellers to regions that have seen transmission in the past five years, and laboratory staff who work with the virus.
That is why we ask about the shape of your travel rather than just the destination. Somebody making annual month-long visits to family in India is in a different position from somebody spending a week in a resort.
Timing: how quickly it works
The 30-day gap before travel that you may have read about was a precaution introduced for IXCHIQ, not for Vimkunya. What matters with Vimkunya is how quickly your body responds, and in clinical trials that was fast.
That means two weeks before you fly is enough for most people, and three is better. If your departure is closer than that, it is still worth calling: we will tell you honestly what is achievable and go through bite avoidance with you in detail.
What it costs
Chikungunya is rarely the only thing a trip calls for, and we plan the whole list at one appointment. All prices match our current price list.
If you feel unwell after you get back
Chikungunya usually starts four to eight days after an infected bite, so it can easily begin after you land. If you develop a fever, severe joint pain or a rash within a couple of weeks of returning from a risk area, see a healthcare professional and tell them where you have been and when. That travel history is the single most useful thing you can give them, because it changes what they test for.
If you are seriously unwell, do not wait for a routine appointment. Fever after travel to the tropics has several possible causes, and some of them, malaria in particular, need urgent attention. If your trip takes you into a malaria area, our malaria tablets page explains how to protect yourself before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Which chikungunya vaccine do you use?
Vimkunya. It is a non-live vaccine given as a single dose, and it was not restricted in the February 2026 review. We no longer offer IXCHIQ.
Can I have the chikungunya vaccine if I have high blood pressure or diabetes?
Possibly. Those conditions rule out IXCHIQ, but on current guidance they do not rule out Vimkunya. Your pharmacist will go through your health and medicines at consultation before anything is given.
Is there an age limit?
Vimkunya is licensed in the UK from 12 years of age.
Is it a live vaccine?
No. Vimkunya contains no live virus, so it cannot cause chikungunya.
I was told earlier this year I couldn’t have it. Is that still the case?
It may not be. If you were turned down because of a health condition under the IXCHIQ restrictions, it is worth asking again, because Vimkunya was not restricted in the same way.
How long before travel do I need it?
Two weeks is enough for most people: in clinical trials, 97% of people aged 12 to 64 had an immune response at two weeks, and 98% at three. If you are closer to departure than that, call us anyway.
Does it work for older travellers?
Yes, though the response is a little lower. In clinical trials, 87% of people aged 65 and over had an immune response three weeks after vaccination.
How long does the protection last?
Protection is expected after a single dose, but the need for any repeat dose has not yet been established.
Do I need it for India?
India accounted for most UK chikungunya cases reported in 2024, so it is a genuine question rather than a theoretical one. Whether the vaccine is right for you depends on your health and the shape of your trip, which is what the consultation is for.
What is the difference between chikungunya and dengue?
They are spread by the same daytime-biting mosquitoes and often circulate in the same places, and the early symptoms overlap. The distinguishing feature of chikungunya is severe joint pain, which can persist long after the fever has gone. Bite avoidance protects against both. Our dengue fever page has more on dengue.
Is the chikungunya vaccine safe?
No safety signal has been seen with Vimkunya, and the JCVI did not consider it necessary to restrict it in 2026. It has not yet been used extensively, so like every new vaccine it is under intensive monitoring by the MHRA. The most common side effects are pain where the injection was given, tiredness, headache and muscle aches. You should not have it if you are allergic to any of its ingredients or reacted to a previous dose.
Can I have it at the same time as my other travel vaccines?
Usually the timing can be planned together. Your pharmacist will map out the full schedule at your appointment.
Written by the Malvern Travel Clinic team and based on NaTHNaC TravelHealthPro, MHRA and JCVI guidance and Vimkunya product information current at the date of review.
This guide is general information, not medical advice; your consultation determines what is right for you.
