Five Hospitalized After Chikungunya Vaccine, CDC Reviewing Cases
United States: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is examining five hospitalization cases among patients who received the chikungunya virus disease-preventing vaccine.
More about the news
The centers posted an information notice on their provider vaccine page revealing that the patients admitted to hospital care experienced cardiac or neurologic complications after receiving IXCHIQ vaccination, according to the CDC.
The transmission of the Chikungunya virus occurs through mosquito bites, which infect humans.
People above the age of majority typically do not take the vaccine, while particular travelers have a chance of vaccine recommendation when there is a high risk for mosquito-borne disease exposure, CNN Health reported.
What are the experts stating?
According to the CDC’s online statement, “This topic will be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Healthcare providers should discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination with individual travelers based on their age, destination, trip duration, and planned activities,” CNN Health reported.
According to a draft meeting agenda, the chikungunya vaccine and surveillance for adverse events were supposed to be examined in an ACIP session on Wednesday. However, the meeting has since been postponed.
Furthermore, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and ACIP liaison, noted that the CDC investigation is an example of the agency’s vaccine surveillance system “working excellently and sending out a signal” in detecting rare events that might deserve further investigation.
“And, of course, the CDC and the local people who are taking care of these patients are working on that now, which is entirely appropriate. That’s the way the system is supposed to work,” Schaffner added.
Therefore, “Remember, we’re still trying to work out whether this is a causal relationship or a coincidental one,” he noticed regarding the investigation, in which he is not directly involved.
“Let’s not draw any conclusions yet. That’s why they’re doing the investigation,” he continued.
