The Florida Department of Health is proposing a rule that would allow pharmacists to administer a vaccine against chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that can cause fever and severe joint pain.
Chikungunya can be difficult to distinguish from dengue and Zika, which can cause similar symptoms, according to the World Health Organization.
Chikungunya is spread by the same mosquito species: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, both found in Florida.
Florida has reported 189 chikungunya cases so far this year, according to the Department of Health’s reportable diseases frequency report. Miami-Dade County accounted for 120 of those cases, with about 92 reported in January.
The proposed rule would amend the state’s list of additional vaccines that pharmacists may administer.
The vaccine would prompt the immune system to produce an immune response against chikungunya virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Few vaccines are available for mosquito-borne illnesses.
The Board of Pharmacy is accepting public comments through Oct. 8.
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