Bavarian Nordic has launched its chikungunya vaccine, Vimkunya, in the UK.
This follows the sharp rise in travel-related disease incidences reported across the country, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealing that cases were up 170% in August 2025 compared with the same time in 2024.
Though Vimkunya was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in May 2025, the jab will now be available for UK customers to purchase through private travel clinics.
Despite the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending bite avoidance as the primary prevention strategy for chikungunya, the agency has endorsed the use of vaccines in adults travelling to regions with active outbreaks.
The JCVI’s call will be welcome news for Bavarian Nordic, which will now compete for market share with the only other approved chikungunya vaccine, Valvena’s Ixchiq.
Though Ixchiq was the first chikungunya vaccine to obtain US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval – getting the green light in November 2023 – its short tenure on the market has proven turbulent for Valneva.
Since its launch, the company has been struggling to shake off safety concerns associated with Ixchiq, following 21 hospitalisations and three deaths linked to the vaccine.
This led the FDA to ban the use of Ixchiq in late August 2025, putting Vimkunya in pole position as the only chikungunya vaccine available in the region.
]The FDA’s U-turn on Ixchiq comes just two weeks after the regulator decided to lift its partial suspension on the vaccine, following investigations into reports of serious adverse events (SAEs).
Over in the UK, Ixchiq is still available, but the UKHSA has suspended its use in adults over 65, pending investigation. In adults over 60 and those with thymus disorders, the UK recommends against the use of the drug.
The EU has taken a more liberal approach to Ixchiq’s use, choosing to lift a temporary restriction on vaccinations in adults over 65. However, the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) safety committee noted that the vaccine should only be given when there is a significant risk of infection.
Meanwhile, Vimkunya has demonstrated no new safety signals since its approval, putting it in a good position to be the preferred chikungunya vaccine moving forward.
Bavarian Nordics estimates that, in its first year on the market, Vimkunya will make $7.8m to $15.6m for the company, though whether the jab will meet that target is yet to be seen.
According to analysts at GlobalData parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology, Vimkunya will experience a steady uptick in sales moving forward, with the vaccine forecasted to bring in $170m for Bavarian Nordics by 2031.
Meanwhile, sales of Ixchiq are set to reach $273m in 2031.
