Chikungunya vaccine: outbreaks and long stays
Pick your destination below the checker, or set your departure in it: the vaccine, its dose and its price at public price lists appear at once.
Chikungunya: when to start
Any day before
one dose before departure is enough to leave
| Doses | 1 dose |
| Protection | CDC gives no lead time |
| Published price per dose | $326 median, $280 to $400 (4 departments) |
| Series, median total with fees | $359 ($280 to $470) |
Schedule from the CDC Yellow Book (2026-01-23). Not medical advice.
| Health department | Per dose | Series with fees |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County Public Health, TX | $280 | $280 |
| Southwest Utah Public Health Department, UT | $292 | $292 |
| Fairfax County Health Department, VA | $360 | $425 |
| Denver Health Public Health Institute, CO | $400 | $470 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Method and sources · CDC pages read October 24, 2026
Chikungunya is a virus spread by the same Aedes mosquitoes as dengue. It is rarely fatal, but the joint pain it causes can last months, sometimes years, especially in older adults. The vaccine CDC describes as available in the United States, Vimkunya, is a single dose for people aged 12 and older; it is a virus-like particle vaccine that does not contain live or weakened virus. CDC recommends it for adolescents and adults traveling to an area with a chikungunya outbreak, which its destination pages state for 3 destinations (Costa Rica, French Guiana (France), Nicaragua) as of October 24, 2026. For 57 more destinations, where CDC describes an elevated risk for US travelers, vaccination may be considered for people traveling or moving there for an extended period, for example six months or more. At the 4 health departments that list it, the dose costs $280 to $400, median $326.
Two situations, two wordings
CDC separates outbreaks from background risk. Where an outbreak is under way, the country page says so and states that chikungunya vaccination is recommended for people traveling to an area with a chikungunya outbreak; on October 24, 2026 that was the case for Costa Rica, French Guiana (France), Nicaragua. Outbreaks come and go, and the list changes with them, which is why this site rereads the CDC pages every month and shows the date beside each one. Where the virus circulates without an outbreak, the page speaks of elevated chikungunya risk and says vaccination may be considered for people traveling or moving there who plan to stay for an extended period, for example six months or more. That covers 57 destinations across Latin America, Africa, South and Southeast Asia and the islands of the Indian Ocean, including Brazil, Mexico, India, Thailand, Kenya and Mauritius.
What CDC says about chikungunya for your destination
Travel vaccines CDC lists for most or some travelers on this trip
4 vaccines
| Yellow fever | CDC recommends the vaccine (Brazil) |
| Malaria | Prescription tablets for areas of Brazil |
| Longest lead time | 28 days before departure (Hepatitis B, 2 doses (Heplisav-B)) |
| Published price, these vaccines | $685 median, $638 to $930 |
The vaccine
Vimkunya is given as one injection. It is approved from 12 years of age; there is no chikungunya vaccine for younger children in the United States, so families rely on bite prevention. CDC states that people who had a severe allergic reaction to a component of the vaccine should not receive it, that pregnant women should discuss the risks and benefits with a healthcare provider, and that people with a weakened immune system may get less protection. CDC's vaccine page does not give a number of days before travel; the checker therefore shows the dose without a protection date, and a clinician can say how early to have it.
Chikungunya dose and price
Chikungunya: when to start
Any day before
| Doses | 1 dose |
| Protection | CDC gives no lead time |
| Published price per dose | $326 median, $280 to $400 (4 departments) |
| Series, median total with fees | $359 ($280 to $470) |
Reading an outbreak notice
An outbreak line on a CDC country page usually comes with a travel health notice at the top of the same page, which names the regions affected and the date it was posted. The vaccine recommendation applies to the area of the outbreak, not always to the whole country; a beach resort far from the affected province may sit outside it. Notices are lifted when case counts fall, and the recommendation then returns to the long stay wording. For a trip booked months ahead, it makes sense to look again at the country page a few weeks before departure, which is also the time of the clinic visit. Each destination page on this site shows the notices CDC listed and the date the CDC page was last reviewed, so a stale line is easy to spot.
Who is usually most concerned
The illness is worst for people over 65 and for those with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, who are more likely to have severe or lasting symptoms, and for newborns infected around birth. For a healthy adult on a two week holiday outside an outbreak, CDC's pages do not list the vaccine; for a retiree spending a winter in a country with elevated risk, or for someone moving there, they suggest considering it. The decision belongs with a clinician who knows the traveler's health and the latest outbreak notices.
What it costs
Only 4 of the health departments read for this site publish a price for the chikungunya vaccine, between $280 and $400 for the single dose. It is not on the CDC private-sector price list, and as a travel-only vaccine it is often outside insurance coverage. The trip cost page adds it to the rest of a list.
Bites, still the main protection
Aedes mosquitoes bite during the day, indoors and outdoors, in cities as much as in the countryside. Repellent with an ingredient registered for the purpose, clothing that covers arms and legs, and rooms with screens or air conditioning protect against chikungunya, dengue and Zika at once. No vaccine replaces them, and no dengue or Zika vaccine is offered to travelers in the United States. A traveler who develops fever and joint pain after a trip should mention where they traveled, since dengue, which looks similar at first, needs different care.