Zeitschrift für Tiergesundheit und Verhaltenswissenschaft

Regulatory Considerations in the Development of Chikungunya Virus Vaccines

Abstract

Joanne Connolly

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus spread by mosquitos. Human Chikungunya disease (CHIK) is distinguished by a sudden onset of high fever, a cutaneous rash, myalgia, and debilitating polyarthralgia. Until recently, the virus was thought to be endemic only to Africa and Asia, but since 2004, CHIK has spread to previously non-endemic regions such as Europe and the Americas, posing a global health threat. Despite the fact that several CHIKV vaccine candidates have been tested in animals and a few have advanced to human clinical trials, no licenced vaccine is currently available for disease prevention. We review recent efforts in CHIKV vaccine development and discuss regulatory considerations for CHIKV vaccine licensure under US FDA regulations in this article.