Feb 08, 2026
3 min read
Read the article Chikungunya virus, the new vaccination guidelines: symptoms and countries at risk on Sky
Chikungunya virus, new vaccine guidelines: symptoms and countries at risk
Health and Wellness Introduction
The Italian Society of Travel and Migration Medicine (Simvim) insists on including chikungunya vaccination among the rules that must be observed before traveling to places where the epidemic is ongoing or where there is any dangerous situation: Cuba, Brazil and other Latin American countries, but also many places in Asia, including parts of India and China.Here's what the virus is and what experts advise.
What do you need to know?
Chikungunya is a virus
The word Chikungunya in Swahili means "one who goes astray", or according to another translation "one who goes astray".An image that "exactly describes the serious joint pain caused by this knowledge", explained Alberto Tomasi, former director of the Prevention Department of the Health Commission of the Northwestern Region of Tuscany and former president of Simvim.
For more information: Cuba, dengue and chikungunya epidemic: more than 13 thousand cases
On the ISS portal it is explained that the incubation is "variable": on average it is 3-7 days, but it can reach up to 12.Only later the fever and pain in the joint appear "severe" and limit the movements of the infection.All patients survive, but the pain may last for months or years.It is a rare disease that causes serious illness, and it mostly affects the elderly, so the disease can be fatal.
Read more: From dengue to Zika, from chikungunya to West Nile: 20 viruses that need to be controlled
Who should be vaccinated against chikungunya?
That's why Simvim, in collaboration with Siti (Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health), has drawn up and published new guidelines on virus protection in recent days.The document not only recommends vaccination for people traveling to endemic areas, but also recommends vaccination for people who have stayed in areas with evidence of virus transmission in the past five years, especially those over 65 or with underlying health conditions.
Also prevention for people who often go to dangerous areas
"Contrary to the indications published in other countries", in the Simvim document "there is no minimum stay time in the risk areas to recommend preventive treatment", explains Andrea Rosenza, president of Simvim and director of the tourism clinic of the Center for Tropical Diseases of the Irccs Sacro Cuore Don Calabria of Negrar di Valpolicella.In this place it is emphasized "that a mosquito bite can occur at any time, regardless of the length of stay".Therefore, the importance of considering the risk associated with staying in endemic areas as a potential cumulative factor: this implies that preventive care must be carefully evaluated not only for individual long-term trips, but also for travelers who visit risk areas, and accumulate the probability of significant exposure over time."
Climate change and conservation is conservation
The new recommendation is to change the prevention of Chikungunya "from emergency management to organized prevention, which can respond to the needs of international travelers and protect the country from the disease of citizens, supporting the commitment of Italy to fight against the threat of the virus that cannot be carried far".
Consult a doctor at least 15 days before departure
Simvim therefore advises vulnerable travelers to travel "at least 15 days" before going to a special travel medicine clinic in their area: there are more than 200 points spread across the country. The main recommendation is to find "a new, well-tolerated single-dose vaccine".
A new Chikungunya vaccine
On the website of the Italian Diagnostic Center it is explained that "from 30 October 2025 the first vaccine against chikungunya virus is also available in Italy".It is a "conjugated" vaccine, based on virus-like particles, produced in a single dose for intramuscular administration.
Below are a number of useful links compiled by Simvim:
- For Cuba, and as a reference to the latest epidemics of arbovirosis, especially Dengue, Chikungunya and Oropouche, diseases transmitted through mosquito bites, you can consult the Ministry of Health - Hepatitis A and the Ministry of Health - Diseases transmitted by vectors, as well as the "Health Situation" section at www.viaggiary-country.
- Finally, to improve your knowledge of areas at risk of chikungunya, you can refer to the websites of the US CDC (www.nc.cdc.gov/travel/notices), the European ECDC (www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/chikungunya-monthly) or directly to the specific and constantly updated outbreak detection map (www/atlass.
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