- Recommendation of first chikungunya vaccine for persons as young as 12 years old expands access for US travelers to regions with outbreak or elevated risk of chikungunya.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April 16, 2025 – Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) announced today that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend the virus-like particle (VLP)-based, single-dose vaccine, VIMKUNYA™ (Chikungunya Vaccine, Recombinant) for injection, for the prevention of disease caused by chikungunya virus.
ACIP recommends VIMKUNYA for persons aged 12 and older traveling to a country or territory where there is a chikungunya outbreak. In addition, VIMKUNYA may be considered for persons traveling or taking up residence in a country or territory without an outbreak but with elevated risk for US travelers if planning travel for an extended period of time. ACIP also recommends VIMKUNYA for laboratory workers with potential for exposure to chikungunya virus.
According to CDC, there has been evidence of chikungunya virus transmission to humans in more than 50 countries within the last five years.
Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic said: “The ACIP’s recommendation of our chikungunya vaccine for Americans aged 12 and older is a big step forward to expanding access to this vaccine in the United States. Chikungunya is an emerging public health threat around the world, and today’s decision is another milestone in our mission to protect more people from this virus.”
The recommendation from ACIP is pending final approval by the Director of the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
About chikungunya
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In the past 20 years, the virus has emerged across several regions in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, including many popular travel destinations, often causing large unpredictable outbreaks. Since its discovery, CHIKV has been identified in more than 110 countries, with evidence of transmission confirmed in more than 50 countries over the past five years1. Chikungunya typically presents with acute symptoms, including fever, rash, fatigue, headache, and often severe and incapacitating joint pain. Most patients recover within 1-2 weeks, but 30-40% of those affected may develop chronic arthritis that can last for months or even years2. In 2024, 620,000 cases of chikungunya were reported worldwide, an increase of more than 20% compared to 20233,4. Recent data suggest that chikungunya is severely underreported and often misdiagnosed as dengue fever due to a similar symptom profile5.
About VIMKUNYA™ (Chikungunya Vaccine, Recombinant)
VIMKUNYA is a vaccine for prevention of disease caused by chikungunya virus in people 12 years of age and older.
VIMKUNYA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission in February 20256,7. Bavarian Nordic has also filed for approval of the vaccine in the United Kingdom and Canada.
Additional clinical trials are required to confirm the clinical profile.
VIMKUNYA is supplied as a single-dose 1-mL glass pre-filled syringe with 0.8 mL dose volume.
Important Safety Information
The following information is based on the U.S. Prescribing Information for VIMKUNYA. Please consult the full Prescribing Information for all the labelled safety information for VIMKUNYA.
You should not get VIMKUNYA if you are allergic to any of the ingredients of the vaccine or if you have had an allergic reaction following a previous dose of VIMKUNYA.
People with a lowered immune system, including people receiving medications that affect the immune system, may have a diminished response to VIMKUNYA. Tell your healthcare provider about all medications you are taking.
Fainting may occur with administration of injected vaccines including VIMKUNYA.
The most common side effects were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. These are not all the possible side effects.
Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
Tell your healthcare provider about any side effects that concern you. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bavarian Nordic at 1-844-4BAVARIAN or the US Department of Health and Human Services by visiting www.vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html or call 1-800-822-7967.
About Bavarian Nordic
Bavarian Nordic is a global vaccine company with a mission to improve health and save lives through innovative vaccines. We are a preferred supplier of mpox and smallpox vaccines to governments to enhance public health preparedness and have a leading portfolio of travel vaccines. For more information, visit www.bavarian-nordic.com
Forward-looking statements
This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law.
Contact investors:
Europe: Rolf Sass Sørensen, Vice President Investor Relations, rss@bavarian-nordic.com, Tel: +45 61 77 47 43
US: Graham Morrell, Paddock Circle Advisors, graham@paddockcircle.com, Tel: +1 781 686 9600
Contact media:
Nicole Seroff, Vice President Corporate Communications, nise@bavarian-nordic.com, Tel: +45 53 88 06 03
Visit www.bavarian-nordic.com/media/chikungunya for additional media information.
Company Announcement no. 14 / 2025
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Areas at Risk for Chikungunya. https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/data-maps/index.html.
2 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Chikungunya virus disease. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/chikungunya-virus-disease.
3 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Chikungunya virus disease case notification rate per 100 000 population, January 2024-December 2024. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/chikungunya-virus-disease-case-notification-rate-100-000-population-january-2024.
4 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Chikungunya virus disease cases January - December 2023. Chikungunya virus disease cases January - December 2023.
5 Ribas Freitas AR, Pinheiro Chagas AA, Siqueira AM, Pamplona de Góes Cavalcanti L. How much of the current serious arbovirus epidemic in Brazil is dengue and how much is chikungunya? Lancet Reg Health Am. 2024 Apr 30;34:100753. doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100753. PMID: 38711542; PMCID: PMC11070701.
6 Bavarian Nordic Receives U.S. FDA Approval of Chikungunya Vaccine for Persons Aged 12 and Older. https://www.bavarian-nordic.com/media/media/news.aspx?news=7053
7 Bavarian Nordic Receives Marketing Authorization in Europe for Chikungunya Vaccine for Persons Aged 12 and Older. https://www.bavarian-nordic.com/media/media/news.aspx?news=7056
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