Brussels, 28 February 2025
The EU Commission has today authorised a vaccine against the chikungunya virus for adults and young people aged 12 years and older. This follows the authorization of the vaccine for adults in 2024, which protects against the chikungunya virus, transmitted by infected mosquitoes.
Although the virus is not endemic in the EU, the effects of climate change have led to an increased presence of mosquitoes that transmit serious diseases. Most cases of chikungunya virus are in travellers infected outside Europe. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports that in 2024, 620,000 cases of the chikungunya virus and 213 deaths were detected from countries in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
This authorisation reflects the EU’s One Health approach to controlling vector-borne infectious diseases. It was unanimously approved by Member States following a rigorous assessment by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). It is up to the national authorities of each Member State to decide who will have access to the vaccine, taking into account the national situation and the level of risk.
Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Animal Health and Welfare, said: “Today’s authorisation of a chikungunya vaccine in the EU for both adults and adolescents is good news. The Commission is determined to use all the tools at our disposal to address the public health risks posed by infected mosquitoes and to protect our citizens. This is the European Health Union.”