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. 

“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.

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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.

Addressing hearing loss in the elderly could help alleviate the growing loneliness epidemic among senior citizens, according to a report from SWNS. 

A new study led by researchers at NYU Langone Health found that providing hearing aids and guidance on their use may help preserve vital social connections that often diminish with age, which could reduce feelings of isolation.

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The study, one of the largest of its kind, gathered data on older adults with untreated hearing loss from four states: Maryland, North Carolina, Minnesota and Mississippi.

The researchers tracked two groups: one received hearing aids, counseling and personalized audiology support, while the other was provided with education on healthy aging, SWNS reported.

To measure social isolation, the researchers evaluated the frequency of social interactions, the size and diversity of participants’ networks, and the depth of their relationships.

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Before the intervention, both groups reported similar levels of loneliness. Three years later, participants who received hearing care saw their loneliness scores improve slightly, while those who did not receive treatment reported worsening feelings of isolation, per SWNS.

Those treated for hearing loss retained one additional social connection on average over a three-year period compared with those who received no hearing therapies and were instead educated about healthy aging.

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Participants given hearing aids were also found to have more diverse relationships with many different types of connections, such as family members, friends and acquaintances, as SWNS reported.

People who were treated for hearing loss retained one additional social connection on average over a three-year period, compared to those who received no hearing therapies and were instead educated about healthy aging. (iStock)

They also maintained deeper, higher-quality bonds than those who were not treated for hearing loss.

“Our findings add to evidence that helping aging patients hear better can also enrich their social lives and boost their mental and physical well-being,” said Professor Nicholas Reed, the study’s lead author from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Optimal Aging Institute, as reported by SWNS.

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Loneliness and hearing loss have both been linked to serious health concerns, including depression, heart disease and premature death, the expert noted.

A previous 2023 report showed that hearing interventions may also slow cognitive decline among those at highest risk for dementia.

“Our findings add to evidence that helping aging patients hear better can also enrich their social lives and boost their mental and physical well-being.” 

Co-principal investigator Professor Josef Coresh added, “Making sure people can continue engaging with their family and friends as they age is a critical part of maintaining their quality of life.”

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The researchers plan to continue following the study participants for another three years, and will also aim to diversify the study group, they noted. 

Co-principal investigator Professor Josef Coresh noted, “Making sure people can continue engaging with their family and friends as they age is a critical part of maintaining their quality of life.” (iStock)

“These results support efforts to incorporate hearing aid coverage into Medicare as a means of addressing the nation’s social isolation epidemic, which is especially dangerous for the elderly,” said Coresh, according to the report.

A threat to American livestock – the New World Screwworm (NWS) fly, which has been considered eradicated from the country since 1966 — has reemerged as a potential danger following an outbreak in Mexico.

The news triggered a shutdown of cattle, horse and bison imports along the southern border, as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced in an X post on Sunday.

“Due to the threat of New World Screwworm I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately,” she wrote in the post. 

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“The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again.”

What is the New World Screwworm?

The NWS is a fly that is endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and some South American countries, according to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

While the flies themselves are found in forests and other wooded areas, they will seek hosts like cattle or horses in pastures and fields, per the above source.

A female fly lays eggs in a wound or orifice of a live, warm-blooded animal. The eggs then hatch into larvae (maggots) that burrow into the flesh, causing potentially deadly damage.

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Screwworms are named for their maggots’ behavior, as they burrow into the flesh similar to how a screw is driven into wood.

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“Maggots cause extensive damage by tearing at the hosts’ tissue with sharp mouth hooks,” according to the APHIS website. This can then enlarge the wound and attract more flies to lay eggs.

A female fly lays eggs in a wound or orifice of a live, warm-blooded animal, per the above source. The eggs then hatch into larvae (maggots) that burrow into the flesh, causing potentially deadly damage. (Alamy)

In rare cases, the larvae can feed on people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states.

These infestations can be very painful and can cause serious, potentially fatal damage to their hosts by causing myiasis, a parasitic infection of fly larvae in human tissue. 

Risk factors and prevention

Screwworms are often found in South America and the Caribbean.

“People who travel to these areas, spend time among livestock animals, sleep outdoors and have an open wound are at greater risk of becoming infested with NWS,” says the CDC.

“Wounds as small as a tick bite may attract a female to feed.”

People who are immunocompromised, very young or very old, or malnourished are also at a higher risk of infection, the above source stated.

Those who have had recent surgery are also at a higher risk, “as the flies will lay eggs on open sores,” according to the CDC.

Potential impact

If another outbreak were to occur in the U.S., “pets, livestock, wildlife and even humans may suffer and die from screwworm myiasis,” the USDA warned.

The USDA estimates that livestock producers in the southwestern U.S. lost between $50 million and $100 million annually due to NWS in the 1950s and 1960s until it was successfully eradicated. (iStock)

The USDA estimates that livestock producers in the southwestern U.S. lost between $50 million and $100 million annually due to NWS in the 1950s and 1960s until it was successfully eradicated.

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“Presumably, these higher losses in the Southwest were due to higher livestock populations, larger geographic area and/or greater potential for NWS to overwinter,” stated the report.

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While the USDA eradicated NWS in 1966, there was an outbreak contained within the Florida Keys in 2016. It affected only in the endangered deer population and was eradicated by March 2017, per APHIS.

Greg Wehner contributed reporting.

On the heels of President Donald Trump’s Monday announcement of an executive order that will slash prescription drug prices in the U.S., the spotlight is on current costs and how much Americans could save.

The president’s order calls for “most favored nations drug pricing” — which means “the lowest price paid for a drug in other developed countries, that is the price that Americans will pay,” he said.

“Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced almost immediately by 50 to 80 to 90%,” Trump said. 

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Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and founder and CEO of Vitalize, applauded the move to reduce prescription prices, noting that Trump’s order tackles a long-standing problem.

“But this will not be simple to accomplish,” she told Fox News Digital. 

“The executive order doesn’t reduce costs immediately,” she said. “It directs government agencies to start drafting the rules, which may take months.”

Here are the five most expensive prescription drugs in the U.S. by price — followed by five by volume.

5 most expensive prescription drugs in the US

Dubinsky detailed some of the most expensive prescription drugs in the country today and what conditions they treat.

1.  Lenmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel) by Orchard Therapeutics – $4.25 million

This medication is used to treat metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare genetic disorder that damages the nervous system, Dubinsky said. 

“It is given once and is supposed to stop or slow down the disease in young kids,” she noted.

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2. Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb) by CSL Behring – $3.5 million

This medication is prescribed for people with hemophilia B, a bleeding disorder. 

“This one-time treatment helps the body make its own clotting factor, so patients don’t need regular infusions,” said Dubinsky.

3. Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl) by Sarepta Therapeutics – $3.2 million

This prescription medication, intended for young boys, treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a condition that weakens muscles over time. 

“It aims to slow down how fast the disease progresses,” Dubinsky said. 

The president’s order calls for “most favored nations drug pricing,” which means “the lowest price paid for a drug in other developed countries, that is the price that Americans will pay.” (iStock)

4. Skysona (elivaldogene autotemcel) by Bluebird Bio – $3 million

“This medication is used for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), a serious brain disease in boys,” said Dubinsky. “This therapy tries to slow the damage before symptoms get worse.”

5. Zynteglo (betibeglogene autotemcel) by Bluebird Bio – $2.8 million

Zynteglo is for beta-thalassemia, a blood condition that usually requires regular transfusions. 

“Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced almost immediately by 50 to 80 to 90%.”

“This gene therapy can help patients make healthy red blood cells on their own and reduce how often they need treatment,” said Dubinsky.

Top 5 most expensive drugs by sales volume

John Stanford, executive director of Incubate, a Washington-based coalition of early-stage life-science investors, shared his thoughts on the top five most expensive drugs by sales volume.

“Typically, when the government is focused on the most expensive drugs, they’re focused on the metric based on sales volume rather than, for instance, a rare disease therapy with a high list price but smaller patient pool,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Often, officials are focused on total drug spending by Medicare or other government programs.”

“Typically, when the government is focused on the most expensive drugs, they’re focused on the metric based on sales volume rather than, for instance, a rare disease therapy with a high list price but smaller patient pool.” (iStock)

1. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) by Merck — $25 billion revenue (2023)

Keytruda is an immunotherapy medication used to treat a variety of cancers, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, liver cancer and others.

“Keytruda has become Merck’s crown jewel, helping the company expand its cancer treatment portfolio with more than 1,000 active clinical trials,” Stanford told Fox News Digital.

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2. Eliquis (apixaban) by Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer — $18.95 billion

Eliquis (apixaban) is an “anchor drug” for both BMS and Pfizer, according to Stanford.

Apixaban is prescribed to prevent the formation of blood clots and to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs). 

3. Ozempic (semaglutide) by Novo Nordisk — $13.93 billion

Prescribed for type 2 diabetes, the semaglutide medication Ozempic has become widely popular for its weight-loss effects and other health benefits.

Prescribed for type 2 diabetes, the semaglutide medication Ozempic has become widely popular for its weight-loss effects and other health benefits. (REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo)

“Ozempic’s sales are powering Novo Nordisk’s broader foray into GLP-1s for obesity, heart disease and liver conditions — all areas with high development costs and uncertain scientific outcomes,” Stanford told Fox News Digital. 

“The money has gone toward scaling up production to meet demand for GLP-1s and avoid supply shortages.”

4. Humira (AbbVie) — $14.4 billion (U.S. 2023 revenue)

“Humira has been one of the highest-grossing drugs in history, generating over $200 billion during its exclusivity period,” Stanford said.

The injectable medication, which contains the active ingredient adalimumab, is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

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5. Biktarvy by Gilead — $11.85 billion

Biktarvy is an HIV treatment that includes the three ingredients bictegravir, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide.

“Biktarvy isn’t just a leading HIV treatment — it’s the financial backbone for Gilead’s move into cancer research,” Stanford said.

Which drugs could be affected?

Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, said vaccines and most generic drugs would not likely be changed by the executive order.

“Most vaccines that Americans take cost less than a hundred dollars, while generic drugs are often less than a dollar a pill,” he told Fox News Digital.

“From a patient’s perspective, the price of medical care in the United States is unsustainable, and extremely expensive medicine is part of that,” one expert said. “However, the insurance system and the hospital business also contribute.” (iStock)

What would be affected, Glanville predicted, are newer brand-name drugs still under IP exclusivity, antibody therapies, cellular therapies, gene therapies and personalized cancer vaccines.

“Some of these are excruciatingly expensive — $100,000 to $500,000 for a treatment course for a patient. However, they are also often the most effective treatments for certain cancers, autoimmune disorders or rare diseases.”

The price of innovation?

The pharmaceutical industry might argue that lowering the prices on these medicines will result in a “dramatic reduction of investment” in creating such breakthroughs, said Glanville.

The industry may also argue that these medicines eventually become generic — at which point the prices drop, according to the expert.

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“From a patient’s perspective, the price of medical care in the United States is unsustainable, and extremely expensive medicine is part of that,” he said. But “the insurance system and the hospital business also contribute.”

“If the prices of new medicines are capped, then effort should be made to reduce the cost of clinical trials and drug GMP manufacturing. Otherwise, we will lose a lot of innovation.”

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Greg Norman of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sounding the alarm on a dangerous drug referred to as “gas station heroin,” that can lead to serious harm, including death.

FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary sent a letter to his colleagues last week to draw their attention to what he called a “dangerous and growing health trend” facing the nation and young people. Makary said there is an increasing number of adverse events involving products that contain tianeptine.

Tianeptine, often called “gas station heroin,” is sold in gas stations through a variety of products, despite the drug not being approved by the FDA.

“I am very concerned,” Makary wrote. “I want the public to be especially aware of this dangerous product and the serious and continuing risk it poses to America’s youth.”

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The products are typically sold at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and online retailers, and go by names like Tianaa, ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and TD Red.

Makary said the FDA is following the distribution and sale of products that contain tianeptine but called on his colleagues to disseminate information about the drug while appreciating the magnitude of its underlying danger.

Tianeptine is licensed and marketed in some countries as an atypical antidepressant, and in countries where it is approved, the typical labeled dose to treat depression is 12.5 mg orally, three times per day, Makary said.

When higher doses are taken, they can produce euphoria. Some countries have taken steps to restrict how tianeptine is prescribed or dispensed and have even revised the labels to warn people of its potential addiction.

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The FDA is warning about the dangers of tianeptine. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo)

In the U.S., though, tianeptine is not listed as part of the Controlled Substances Act.

The drug is often taken recreationally, though if stopped abruptly, users could experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those associated with opioid withdrawal – craving, sweating, diarrhea and more.

If tianeptine is ingested, Makary wrote, adverse events could include agitation, coma, confusion, death, drowsiness, hypertension, nausea, respiratory depression, sweating, tachycardia and vomiting.

Two years ago, New Jersey health officials warned that two products sold as dietary supplements in gas stations and online – Neptune’s Elixir and ZaZa Red – had caused a spike in illnesses.

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New Jersey health officials raised concerns in 2023 about Neptune’s Fix Elixir, a product containing tianeptine, after a cluster of illnesses was reported in connection with the product. (FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch)

Between June and November 2023, there were 20 reported cases of tianeptine causing “severe clinical effects” in New Jersey, as noted in a Feb. 1 alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

In 2023, the FDA posted an alert warning of the dangers of Neptune’s Fix or any other product containing tianeptine.

“FDA has received severe adverse event reports after use of Neptune’s Fix products, including seizures and loss of consciousness leading to hospitalization,” the agency stated.

“FDA considers tianeptine to be a substance that does not meet the statutory definition of a dietary ingredient and is an unsafe food additive. The FDA is aware of several serious adverse event reports associated with tianeptine.”

On Jan. 28, 2024, Neptune Resources, LLC, the maker of Neptune’s Fix, issued a voluntary recall of its products due to the presence of tianeptine — but experts are warning that other products may also contain the drug.

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Anyone who is using tianeptine or a product containing tianeptine and is experiencing withdrawal symptoms can call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency medical assistance, experts advised.

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.