Chikungunya is a viral disease caused by the Chikungunya virus. The name chikungunya derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, meaning 'to become contorted'. It is most commonly transmitted by female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Chikungunya was first identified in Tanzania in 1952 and has since become widely distributed across the globe.
Since 2004, major epidemics have been reported in Africa and Asia, and local transmission is also now being reported in Europe, the USA and the Caribbean. Today, over a billion people live in areas where Chikungunya is endemic. Find out more about Chikungunya and CEPI's R&D efforts in this disease area here: Chikungunya on CEPI.net
Events
Phase IV post-approval studies in the context of vaccines approved through accelerated procedures: Case study, CHIKUNGUNYA vaccines
On March 19 and 20, 2025, CEPI and ANVISA hosted the workshop "Phase IV post-approval studies in the context of vaccines approved through accelerated procedures: Case study, CHIKUNGUNYA vaccines" in São Paulo, Brazil. The workshop was a forum to update global regulators on:
How regional and local epidemiology can guide future clinical research
Recent regulatory actions taken to license chikungunya vaccines, the use of correlate of protection data to inform approvals, and post-approval commitments and requirements
Regulatory requirements for the use of real-world evidence to support commitments and future approvals and outlooks on available infrastructures for generating it
Design, feasibility and conduct of post-approval studies and outbreak protocols to generate vaccine use data
Perspectives from national immunization programs, ministries of health and other public health stakeholders on the potential uptake of chikungunya vaccines in their countries
There was robust dialogue and participation of over 60 participants from 18 countries representing 14 national regulatory authorities.
The meeting agenda and presentation slides are provided in the links below. The final meeting report will be added upon availability.
