Brazil’s Avisa okays Butantan’s chikungunya vaccine

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Brazil’s Avisa okays Butantan’s chikungunya vaccine Wednesday, April 16th 2025 – 09:41 UTC Full article 0 comments The approval came after 267,000 suspected cases of chikungunya and at least 213 deaths were reported in Brazil alone in 2024 Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) Tuesday approved the first vaccine against chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and Zika. Developed through a collaboration between the Butantan Institute and French-Austrian pharmaceutical Valneva, the drug demonstrated 98.9% immunogenicity in US trials involving 4,000 volunteers aged 18–65, with neutralizing antibodies lasting at least six months, as published in The Lancet in June 2023. The São Paulo-based Butantan Institute said in a statement that “with the favorable opinion of the Brazilian regulatory agency,” the vaccine was authorized to be applied in the country to people over 18 years of age. Butantan Institute Director Esper Kallás explained that “the Ministry’s plan could be to vaccinate first the residents of the endemic regions, i.e. those with the highest number of cases.” Cleared for those over 18, the vaccine awaits a decision from the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies (Conitec) to be integrated into Brazil’s public health system, potentially prioritizing endemic regions. In 2024, Brazil reported 267,000 probable chikungunya cases and over 200 deaths, with 620,000 cases globally. The vaccine, already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), marks a global first based on antibody production data. Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected “Aedes aegypti” mosquitoes, the same mosquitoes that transmit dengue and Zika, Unlike these two, chikungunya can cause chronic joint pain. The most affected countries in the region include Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia. Categories: Health & Science , Brazil . Tags: Avisa , Chikungunya , dengue , Zika . Top Comments Disclaimer & comment rules No comments for this story Please log in or register (it’s free!) to comment. Login with Facebook