FDA approves first vaccine against mosquito-borne virus chikungunya

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the world’s first vaccine to prevent chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that can cause debilitating joint pain for months to years.

The vaccine, sold under the brand name Ixchiq, comes at a time when public health experts are increasingly worried about vector-borne illnesses spreading to new regions due to climate change, posing an increased risk to human health.