Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that causes fever and joint pain, sometimes for months. Canada's chikungunya travel health notice, updated October 13, 2026, covers Cuba, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Nicaragua and Suriname. Two vaccines are now authorized in Canada, but advice on who should get one is narrow, and it changed in 2025 and 2026.
What chikungunya does
The virus spreads through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, the same kind that spread dengue and Zika. They bite mostly by day, especially after sunrise and before sunset. They also bite indoors and in the shade, and Canada's latest notice says they bite at night too. Protect yourself at all times.
Symptoms usually start 3 to 7 days after a bite but can take up to 12. The main signs are a sudden fever and joint pain, sometimes with rash, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, nausea or vomiting. Most people recover within days, but up to half develop longer-term symptoms, which can include disabling joint pain for months or years.
Newborns, babies under one, older adults and people with conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease are more likely to become severely ill. A pregnant person can pass the virus to their baby, which in rare cases leads to stillbirth or premature birth. There is no specific treatment; care eases the fever and pain.
Where the risk is highest now
The Government of Canada's notice Chikungunya: Advice for travellers is Level 2, Practise enhanced health precautions. Last updated October 13, 2026, it lists Costa Rica, Cuba, French Guiana, Nicaragua and Suriname, which are reporting more cases than expected. Canada's page for Brazil also has an outbreak monitoring alert for a large outbreak in Mato Grosso do Sul.
The notice is not a full list. Chikungunya is a risk in many countries Canadians visit, including Mexico, the Dominican Republic and India. Check your destination's page on travel.gc.ca.
Going to Cuba? Canada currently advises avoiding non-essential travel there because of shortages of fuel, electricity, food, water and medicine, and all Canadian airlines have suspended service. Our Cuba and Caribbean guide covers the other vaccines.
The two vaccines authorized in Canada
Ixchiq: a live, weakened vaccine
Health Canada authorized Ixchiq (Valneva) in June 2024 for adults and in August 2025 for ages 12 and up, as a single dose. It usually takes two to four weeks to protect. As a live, weakened virus vaccine, it must not be given in pregnancy or to people whose immune system is weakened by illness or treatment, and pregnancy should be avoided for a month afterwards. It is sold privately and is not publicly funded in Ontario.
It was approved based on immune response; no study has yet measured directly how well it prevents disease. By July 2025, 28 serious adverse events, including three deaths, had been reported among about 36,000 doses distributed worldwide, mostly in people 65 and older with other health problems. In March 2026, Health Canada warned that medically frail people 65 and older with several chronic conditions may be at increased risk of serious and life-threatening reactions, but it kept the vaccine on the market with these warnings. Canada's immunization guide says not to give it at the same visit as other vaccines.
Vimkunya: no live virus
Health Canada authorized Vimkunya (Bavarian Nordic) on June 26, 2026, for ages 12 and up, also as a single dose. It usually takes one to two weeks to protect and is made from virus-like particles, so it cannot cause the disease. Its only listed contraindication is allergy to an ingredient, but it has not been studied in pregnancy or in people with a weakened immune system. As of October 14, 2026, Health Canada's Drug Product Database lists it as approved but not yet marketed in Canada. Your physician decides whether either vaccine is right for you.
What CATMAT recommends
The Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT) advises the Public Health Agency of Canada. Its December 24, 2025 advice on Ixchiq is now in the Canadian Immunization Guide. CATMAT says the risk to travellers is low except during an outbreak, which a Level 2 notice identifies. It has not yet issued advice on Vimkunya.
- 65 and older: CATMAT recommends against Ixchiq and suggests avoiding travel to outbreak areas. Outbreaks often last a few months to a year, so a trip can often wait.
- 18 to 64 at high risk of infection: Ixchiq may be considered after a one-on-one discussion of benefits and harms. The benefit is greatest for trips to an outbreak area, long or repeated stays, and people more likely to get severe disease. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and joint disease raise that risk, but they were also present in most reports of serious vaccine reactions, so the physician weighs both.
- Other adults 18 to 64: CATMAT suggests against Ixchiq.
- 12 to 17: CATMAT has not yet given advice.
- Pregnant or immunocompromised: Ixchiq is contraindicated. If you cannot delay travel to an outbreak area, discuss it in depth with your provider. See our pregnancy and travel vaccines guide.
Regulators outside Canada
The US Food and Drug Administration suspended Ixchiq's licence in August 2025 over serious safety concerns, and the product was discontinued there in January 2026. Europe's regulator briefly paused its use in people 65 and older in 2025; it remains authorized in the European Union for people 12 and older at high risk of infection. The manufacturer announced on October 7, 2026, that the UK had revoked its licence. Where the US and Canada differ, this guide follows Canada.
Bite prevention: your main protection
CATMAT advises bite prevention for every traveller to an affected area, vaccinated or not. Neither vaccine protects everyone or works against dengue, Zika or other mosquito-borne diseases, and there is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent dengue.
- Use an approved repellent, such as DEET or icaridin, on exposed skin and follow the label. Health Canada's DEET limit for adults and children over 12 is 30%; younger children have lower limits.
- Wear light-coloured, loose clothing of tightly woven fabric such as nylon or polyester, with long sleeves, long pants, socks and closed-toe shoes.
- Adults, including pregnant people, can wear permethrin-treated clothing; it is not available for children under 16.
- Choose rooms with intact screens or air conditioning, and use a mosquito net if your room is not fully enclosed.
- If mosquitoes can get inside, CATMAT suggests using repellent indoors during the day too.
If you get sick
See a health care provider and say where you travelled. Chikungunya can look like other infections, including malaria and dengue, and lab tests may be needed to tell them apart. Canada's guidance for health professionals says to avoid anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and ASA until dengue is ruled out, because of bleeding risk, so ask before taking them. See our guide to illness after travel.
The bottom line
Talk to a physician about the vaccine if your trip includes a place with a Level 2 notice or outbreak alert, a long stay or repeat visits where chikungunya is a risk, or if you have a condition that raises your risk of severe disease. If you are 65 or older or pregnant, talk to one before you book. The physician decides which vaccine, if any, is right for you.
You can do this in a $110 virtual consultation with a physician licensed in Ontario; you must be in Ontario during the video call. Prescriptions go to our Toronto pharmacy, Cloud Pharmacy at 55 Dundas St E, where pharmacists give travel vaccines. If you can, book about six weeks before you leave. Our pricing page explains fees and insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a chikungunya vaccine in Canada?
Yes, two are authorized. Ixchiq is on the market and sold privately. Vimkunya was authorized in June 2026 but was not yet marketed in mid-October 2026.
I'm 70 and going to Cuba. Should I get Ixchiq?
CATMAT recommends against Ixchiq at 65 and older and, because Cuba is on the Level 2 notice, suggests postponing the trip if you can. Vimkunya is not yet on the market here. If you must go, see a physician first and be strict about bite prevention.
Can children get a chikungunya vaccine?
Both vaccines are authorized from age 12. Younger children rely on bite prevention.
Sources: Travel health notice — Chikungunya | CATMAT — IXCHIQ recommendations | Canadian Immunization Guide — Chikungunya | Health Canada — IXCHIQ risk communication | Drug Product Database — IXCHIQ | Drug Product Database — VIMKUNYA | Health Canada — IXCHIQ decision | PHAC — Chikungunya | PHAC — Chikungunya (professionals) | PHAC — Insect bite prevention | Health Canada — Insect repellents | Travel advice — Cuba | Travel advice — Brazil | Halton Region — Physician notice | US FDA — Ixchiq safety update | US FDA — Discontinuations | EMA — Ixchiq | Valneva — IXCHIQ UK update
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