The Florida Department of Health (DOH) proposed to expand the list of vaccines that pharmacists can administer to include immunization against chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that has resulted in a high number of reports in the state this year.
The proposal was announced this Friday by Telemundo 51, based on a report from News Service of Florida. The change would amend rule 64B16-27.650, which regulates the additional immunizations that pharmacists can administer in the state.
The official notice published by the Florida Board of Pharmacy confirms that it is proposing to modify the rule to add new vaccines and establishes a public comment period that will remain open until October 8.
According to the report on notifiable diseases from the DOH cited by News Service of Florida, Florida has recorded 189 cases of chikungunya so far in 2026.
Of these, 120 are from Miami-Dade and around 92 were reported in January.
Chikungunya is a viral infection primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, both of which are present in Florida.
It can cause fever and intense joint pain, and due to the similarity of its symptoms, it can be mistaken for dengue or Zika.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently state that the VIMKUNYA vaccine, made with virus-like particles and approved for individuals aged 12 and older, is available in the United States.
The recommendation mainly focuses on specific travelers at risk of exposure and laboratory workers, which is why Florida's proposal would expand the locations where it could be administered, but it does not make the vaccine a routine immunization for the entire population.
Epidemiological data from the DOH also indicates that not all chikungunya cases involve transmission within Florida. In its weekly arbovirus surveillance report for the period from September 6 to September 12, the agency recorded 66 cases linked to international travel and one locally acquired case, the latter in Miami-Dade with symptom onset in August.
That weekly series uses a different epidemiological classification than the report on notifiable diseases cited by News Service of Florida, so the figures are not directly comparable.
The proposal also arrives amidst a particularly active season for other mosquito-borne diseases in Florida.
This Friday, the Health Department in Orange County confirmed two new locally acquired cases of dengue and announced that, along with mosquito control authorities, it has intensified treatments in the affected communities.
The latest state report available as of September 12 accounted for 152 cases of dengue acquired within Florida, primarily in Hillsborough, as well as Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, and Pinellas. It also recorded 186 cases associated with international travel.
The situation had already raised alarms in the southern part of the state.
In August, the Health Department confirmed a locally acquired case of dengue in Miami-Dade and activated joint mosquito surveillance and control measures.
At the beginning of September, the rise in dengue cases led to increased fumigation and monitoring in several counties in Florida, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Orange, and Miami-Dade.
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