Inadequate response to Ebola should not be repeated with Chikungunya -Sir Ron Sanders

The good news is that a prophylactic vaccine against chikungunya, developed by the Austrian biotech company Themis Bioscience GmbH, is reported to induce a significant neutralizing immune response to the disease and is confirmed as safe.

The not so good news is two-fold: first, none of the major health authorities of the world have yet endorsed the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine; and second, even if the vaccine is validated, it might be some time before it is produced in sufficient quantities and at a price that could make it available to regions of the world where chikungunya is a growing problem.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes chikungunya as: “a viral disease (genus Alphavirus) which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes – including Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The name chikungunya originates from a verb in the Kimakonde language, meaning ‘to become contorted’. This refers to the ‘stooped’ appearance of those suffering with joint pain”.

Read more Caribbean360