Chikungunya 2026 Tracker
The Americas: Current Epicenter (2026)
Beyond the Americas
About Chikungunya
Sources: CDC About Chikungunya · WHO Chikungunya fact sheet
Treatments & Vaccines in Development
There is no antiviral for chikungunya, so care is about easing symptoms and preventing bites. Two vaccines exist for travelers, but only one is currently available in the US after safety problems with the other. Here is where things stand.
A single-dose virus-like particle vaccine, licensed in the US for people aged 12 and older. It contains no live or weakened virus. The CDC recommends it for adolescents and adults traveling to an area with a chikungunya outbreak and for laboratory workers who may be exposed, and says it can be considered for people relocating long-term (about 6 months or more) to a country with elevated risk. Because it is not a live vaccine, it is the preferred US option after safety problems with the older live vaccine.
CDC Chikungunya Vaccines →A single-dose live-attenuated vaccine approved in 2023. The FDA suspended its US license in 2025 after serious adverse events, including hospitalizations and deaths, in older adults, and in 2026 Valneva voluntarily withdrew its US application. It is not currently available in the United States. This is why the virus-like particle vaccine, Vimkunya, is now the recommended choice.
FDA Safety Communication →There is no antiviral drug for chikungunya. Treatment eases symptoms: rest, fluids, and acetaminophen (paracetamol) for fever and joint pain. Aspirin and other NSAIDs are avoided until dengue has been ruled out, since dengue spreads by the same mosquitoes and can cause bleeding. Lingering joint pain may need longer-term pain management.
CDC Chikungunya Clinical Care →