Updates ·
Health notices · Wednesday 21 October
3 notices from the agencies today, in plain words, each with the original linked.
IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine authorisation withdrawn in the UK
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) · Safety
If you’ve had the IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine before and didn’t have side effects, you don’t need another vaccination or any other specific treatment because of this decision.
If you’ve previously had IXCHIQ and experienced a suspected side effect, or if you develop a suspected side effect after vaccination, seek medical advice and report it.
For people travelling from the UK to areas where chikungunya is found, the MHRA advises using alternative ways to prevent infection, including other available vaccines, avoiding mosquito bites, and following current travel health advice.
What to do
- If you have IXCHIQ vaccine remaining, dispose of it in accordance with local policies.
- Do not prescribe, supply or administer IXCHIQ vaccine.
- Report suspected adverse reactions on the Yellow Card scheme.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates dengue symptom and testing guidance
CDC · Guidance
About 1 in 4 people infected with dengue get sick. Symptoms can be mild or severe. The most common symptom is fever, often with aches and pains, nausea or vomiting, and a rash.
What to do
- Go to a local clinic or emergency room immediately if you have dengue warning signs, including belly pain or tenderness, repeated vomiting, bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood, blood in the stool, or feeling extremely tired or restless.
- If you have symptoms of dengue and live in or recently traveled to an area with risk of dengue, see your healthcare provider; a blood test is the only way to confirm the diagnosis.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves ZITUVIMET for adults with type 2 diabetes
FDA · Approval
If you have type 2 diabetes, the FDA has approved ZITUVIMET (sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride) to improve glycemic control as an add-on to diet and exercise.
ZITUVIMET is not recommended for people with type 1 diabetes. It has not been studied in people with a history of pancreatitis.
The notice does not say what you should change immediately, but it supports a new option for blood sugar control in eligible adults.