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FDA warns seniors to avoid this vaccine after deadly complications
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Older adults are being warned against receiving the chikungunya vaccine before traveling.
The Ixchiq vaccination, developed by Valneva to prevent the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2023 as the first of its kind.
The approval applies to anyone aged 18 and older who has a risk of being exposed to the virus.
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But the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a safety notice on May 9 recommending that adults over 60 years old pause use of the vaccine due to fatal complications.
“FDA and CDC will continue the evaluation of post-marketing safety reports for Ixchiq,” the release reads.
Older adults are being warned against receiving the chikungunya vaccine before traveling. (iStock)
“While the safety of Ixchiq for use in individuals 60 years of age and older is being further assessed, FDA and CDC are recommending a pause in use of the vaccine in this age group. FDA and CDC will update the public when the agencies complete their evaluation of this safety issue.”
The advisory follows reports of “serious adverse events,” including neurologic and cardiac events in people who received the vaccine.
Two of 17 events resulted in death from severe complications. One death was caused by encephalitis, or inflammation in the brain, the alert stated.
Those who experienced adverse effects of the vaccine were reported to be between the ages of 62 and 89.
A patient infected with chikungunya looks out from mosquito netting at the Clinicas Hospital in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, in March 2023. The FDA warned that Ixchiq, which contains a live, weakened version of the virus, may cause similar symptoms to chikungunya. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
The FDA warned that Ixchiq, which contains a live, weakened version of chikungunya, may cause symptoms similar to the virus.
Typical symptoms of chikungunya include fever, severe joint pain, headache, muscle pain and a rash, according to the CDC.
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Most people recover within a week, but some may experience “severe and disabling” joint pain for weeks or months.
Chikungunya is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. (iStock)
“This virus is in a similar category as dengue or Zika and is carried by the same mosquitoes,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel previously told Fox News Digital.
At the time of the vaccine’s approval, the FDA described chikungunya as an “emerging global health threat,” with at least five million cases reported over the past 15 years.
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The FDA plans to conduct an “updated benefit-risk assessment” for Ixchiq use in those over 60 years of age, according to the notice.
Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
Health
Foods and Drinks That Help With Bloating: Flatten Your Belly in Days
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Health
What to know about Cushing’s syndrome, which led to Amy Schumer’s dramatic weight loss
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Comedian Amy Schumer, 44, has recently come clean about her struggle with Cushing’s syndrome, leading to a dramatic weight loss.
Schumer’s transformation has sparked conversation online, to which she responded in a now-deleted Instagram post that shut down speculation about cosmetic enhancements.
“I didn’t lose 30lbs — I lost 50,” she emphasized on social media, adding that she does not get Botox or filler.
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Schumer doubled down that her weight loss was not about her appearance, but about staying alive.
“Not to look hot, which does feel fun and temporary,” she said. “I did it to survive. I had a disease that makes your face extremely puffy that can kill you, but the internet caught it and that disease has cleared.”
Amy Schumer attends Variety’s 2024 Power of Women: New York event on May 2, 2024, in New York City on the left. On the right, Schumer later poses for a photo posted to Instagram after her weight loss. (Marleen Moise/WireImage; Amy Schumer/Instagram)
“Sorry for whatever feeling it’s giving you that I lost that weight,” she added. “I’ve had plastic surgery over the years and I use [Mounjaro]. Sorry to anyone they let down. I’m pain free. I can [play] tag with my son.”
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The actress also addressed her shifting hormones, saying that she’s “happy to share more if anyone has any questions about how I’m looking or feeling or where I am in my perimenopause process.”
“I didn’t lose 30lbs — I lost 50,” Schumer emphasized on social media, adding that she does not get Botox or filler. (Amy Schumer/Instagram)
What is Cushing’s syndrome?
Schumer previously revealed that she had been diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, a hormonal disorder that can cause extreme swelling, fatigue and potentially fatal complications.
Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight loss specialist in New Jersey, provided more details on the condition in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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“Cushing’s syndrome is caused by prolonged, high exposure to cortisol, which is your body’s main stress hormone,” he said. “Usually, the excess cortisol is a result of prolonged steroid use. We see this many times with patients who have some autoimmune disorder.”
Balazs said the “key” to Cushing’s syndrome is not just weight gain, but a “specific redistribution” of fat caused by too much cortisol.
Amy Schumer is photographed during a guest interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Feb. 13, 2024 (left), and later seen walking through midtown New York City on Oct. 28, 2025 (right). (Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images; Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images)
Fat may be driven to the abdomen, chest, upper back (referred to as a “buffalo hump”) or face, sometimes considered “moon face,” the doctor said.
Cortisol also breaks down protein, which leads to a thinning in the arms and legs. “Weight gain can be tough, involuntary and hard to manage,” Balazs added.
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Cortisol stimulates “hunger centers” in the brain, raises blood sugar and promotes fat storage, especially deep belly fat, according to the doctor.
Cushing’s syndrome can also cause high blood pressure, bone loss and sometimes type 2 diabetes, per Mayo Clinic.
In addition to weight gain in certain areas, other symptoms may include pink or purple stretch marks on the stomach, hips, thighs, breasts and underarms, as well as acne, slow wound healing, and thin, frail skin that bruises easily.
With Cushing’s syndrome, fat may accumulate in the abdomen, chest, face or upper back (referred to as a “buffalo hump”). (iStock)
Women with Cushing’s syndrome often experience thick, dark hair on the face and body, as well as irregular periods. Symptoms among men can include a lower sex drive, reduced fertility and erectile dysfunction.
Mayo Clinic listed other potential symptoms, including extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, trouble with concentration and memory, headache, sleeplessness, skin darkening and stunted growth in children.
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Those with symptoms should contact their doctor immediately, especially if they are taking steroids to treat health issues like asthma, arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease, as these medications can exacerbate the condition.
The Mayo Clinic has reported that the “sooner treatment starts, the better the chances for recovery.”
“I’ve had plastic surgery over the years and I use [Mounjaro],” Schumer stated in a social media post. (George Frey/Bloomberg)
For patients like Schumer, weight loss is typically not the main goal, Balazs noted, but it is a “critical sign” of successful treatment.
“The primary goal is to normalize your high cortisol levels,” he said. “I believe Amy Schumer got treated first for her underlying problem. Once the cortisol is normalized, which is the most important step, there’s a role to use adjunct medications to decrease weight.”
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Among GLP-1s, Mounjaro is an “excellent choice to decrease deep belly fat and increase insulin sensitivity of cells,” Balazs added.
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s rep requesting comment.
Health
Hundreds quarantined due to measles outbreak in southern state, officials say
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VIRAL OUTBREAK — Measles surge leads to hundreds quarantined in U.S. county, officials say
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The South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed that 254 people are currently in quarantine in the upstate region. (iStock)
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