MHRA withdraws UK licence for IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine and adds antidepressant warnings
The same roundup adds a boxed warning and a patient card to antidepressant leaflets, and warns that caspofungin can bind to new CRRT filter membranes.
Key takeaways
- The MHRA has withdrawn the UK marketing authorisation for the IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine after advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, according to its October 2026 Safety Roundup.
- UK antidepressant leaflets are getting a new boxed warning, a new patient card and, in 2027, a supporting safety leaflet covering suicidal thoughts and persistent sexual dysfunction.
- Crisis contacts listed for UK patients include NHS 111, local mental health crisis teams, Samaritans on 116 123, and texting SHOUT to 85258.
- The MHRA says caspofungin can bind to new PAN-based CRRT membranes, and recommends giving echinocandins at least six hours after a new filter is started, where possible.
- For crews: the MHRA notice names one product, IXCHIQ, and says people who already received it need no specific action unless they suspect an adverse reaction.
The MHRA has withdrawn the UK marketing authorisation for the IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine. The decision appears in the agency's Safety Roundup for October 2026, published on gov.uk on October 27, 2026 [1]. The regulator acted on advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and concluded that "the benefit-risk balance for the IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine is no longer considered favourable" [1].
The same monthly roundup announces new safety measures for every UK patient taking an antidepressant. The measures change how the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and the risk of persistent sexual dysfunction, are explained to patients [1]. A third item, a device safety notice, warns that the antifungal caspofungin and similar drugs can bind to filter membranes during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) [1].
What the records show
IXCHIQ vaccine
According to the roundup, the product is being removed from the UK market [1]. Healthcare professionals are told not to prescribe, supply or administer it, and to "dispose of any remaining stock in accordance with local policies" [1]. The agency also asks that any materials, systems or communications listing UK vaccination options be updated to drop IXCHIQ [1]. For travellers, the roundup points to other chikungunya vaccines, avoiding mosquito bites and following current travel health advice [1].
According to the MHRA, people who have already received the vaccine "do not need to take any specific action as a result of this regulatory decision" [1]. Anyone who suspects an adverse reaction after vaccination is directed to seek medical advice and file a Yellow Card report [1].
Antidepressants
The MHRA says the changes follow a completed review of the patient information leaflets (PILs) that come with antidepressants. Patients and their families took part in that review [1]. According to the record, the measures are "a new boxed warning in the PIL, a new patient card, and a supporting safety (ancillary) leaflet" [1]. The term "post SSRI sexual dysfunction" (PSSD) is being added to the PIL for some antidepressants [1]. The roundup says the ancillary leaflet will become available in 2027 [1].
Prescribers are asked to discuss the suicide risk with patients when an antidepressant is started, when its dose changes, or at the next review [1]. The roundup states that evidence links some antidepressants to sexual dysfunction, and that symptoms may persist after certain of these drugs are stopped [1]. Clinicians are also pointed to NICE guidance, regular monitoring once treatment begins, and Yellow Card reporting [1].
The messages for patients list crisis options: NHS 111, a local mental health crisis team, Samaritans on 116 123, or a text with the word SHOUT to 85258 [1]. The roundup tells patients that "these are not new risks for these medicines" and asks them not to stop treatment before speaking with a healthcare professional [1].
CRRT and echinocandins
The device notice describes CRRT as a treatment for severe acute kidney injury and fluid overload [1]. The MHRA cites published evidence that caspofungin can bind to polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based CRRT membranes. That can leave antifungal treatment ineffective, with "potentially life-threatening consequences in critically ill patients" [1]. The agency considers the risk highest when a new membrane or filter circuit is started, because "adsorption reduces over time as the membrane becomes saturated" [1].
Where possible, the MHRA recommends giving echinocandins such as caspofungin, and similar drugs, "at least six hours after initiation of PAN-based filter use, and after filter circuit set changes" [1]. It added that "The same risk cannot be excluded for other membrane types used in CRRT or other drugs with similar properties" [1].
Why it matters for EMS
The roundup is a UK regulatory document, and none of its items is written specifically for prehospital care [1]. The antidepressant changes do, however, put new warnings in front of patients. These warnings tell them to seek urgent medical attention for new or worsening suicidal thoughts, especially early in treatment or after a dose change, and they list NHS 111 among the contacts [1]. For UK urgent and emergency services, this means patients will now carry a patient card and leaflet that spell out these risks [1].
The CRRT notice concerns critically ill patients on renal replacement therapy, where the MHRA links a failed antifungal treatment to potentially life-threatening outcomes [1]. The IXCHIQ withdrawal mainly affects vaccination services and travellers heading to areas where chikungunya occurs [1]. EMS clinicians work under local protocols and medical direction.
What the records do not tell us
- The roundup does not describe the safety findings behind the IXCHIQ decision, how many doses were given in the UK, or how many adverse reactions were reported.
- It does not say whether regulators outside the UK, including the FDA, have taken similar action. The records do not address the vaccine's US status.
- The manufacturer is not named, and no company comment appears in the records.
- The record does not list which antidepressants will carry the PSSD term, and it gives no exact 2027 date for the ancillary leaflet.
- The CRRT notice gives no count of affected patients or reported incidents. The copy of the record available to Mepa8 is cut off partway through the CRRT advice.
What to watch
According to the MHRA, the supporting safety leaflet for antidepressants will become available in 2027. The agency publishes its Safety Roundup monthly [1].
Questions readers ask
Why was the IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine withdrawn in the UK?
The MHRA concluded, on advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, that the vaccine's benefit-risk balance is no longer favourable, and it withdrew the UK marketing authorisation. The roundup does not detail the specific safety findings.
What should people do if they already had the IXCHIQ vaccine?
According to the MHRA, people who already received the vaccine do not need another vaccination or any specific treatment because of the decision. Anyone with a suspected side effect is directed to seek medical advice and report it on a Yellow Card.
What is changing on UK antidepressant leaflets?
The MHRA is adding a new boxed warning to the patient information leaflet, a new patient card, and a supporting safety leaflet expected in 2027. The term post SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) is being added for some antidepressants.
Why does caspofungin timing matter during CRRT?
The MHRA says caspofungin can bind to new PAN-based CRRT membranes, which may make antifungal treatment ineffective. Where possible, it recommends giving echinocandins at least six hours after a PAN-based filter is started and after filter circuit set changes.
Sources
- MHRA Safety Roundup: October 2026 (gov.uk) (2026-10-27). gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/mhra-safety-roundup-october-2026
This is news, not medical advice. EMS clinicians: follow your local protocols and medical direction.
