The Lyme Disease Vaccine
There used to be a Lyme disease vaccine available in the United States, but GlaxoSmithKline, the company that made the vaccine, stopped producing it in 2002. It was a business decision, and the company cites poor demand for the vaccine as the reason for the cessation. Since that time, no other vaccine manufacturer has decided to make the Lyme disease vaccine.
Essential
Transmission of Lyme disease by a tick bite is not common because the tick must stay on the skin continuously for more than twenty-four hours in order to transmit the bacteria in its gut into the blood of the person. Attachment of the tick to the skin for less than twenty-four hours is unlikely to transmit Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is an infection spread by ticks. Not just any tick can spread Lyme disease — only the deer ticks that live mainly in the northeastern, upper Midwest, and mid-Atlantic states. The state of Connecticut has the highest reported rate of Lyme disease, but there have been sporadic cases in northwestern California as well. It appears that the presence of deer is essential for the transmission of the disease.
Lyme disease is a potentially serious infection that can cause chronic arthritis, destruction of the heart muscle, paralysis, and alteration of brain tissue. Fortunately, these serious complications of Lyme disease can be prevented with early treatment of antibiotics. The trick is that the physician must recognize Lyme disease and diagnose the condition in a timely manner in order to institute the treatment without delay.
The Lyme disease vaccine worked fairly well, and it was recommended for people age fifteen to seventy years. Three doses were recommended, and the doses were given over a twelve-month period. The exact duration of the protection offered by the vaccine was not known.
The most common side effects of the Lyme disease vaccine include soreness at the injection site, fever, and mild muscle ache. Serious problems associated with this vaccine have not been reported.
Fact
In the late 1990s, more than 12,000 people were stricken with Lyme disease. The majority of these patients resided in the northeastern and upper Midwest regions of the United States. Some residents of Canada were diagnosed with Lyme disease as well.
At this point in time, no other American company is planning to make the Lyme disease vaccine. Currently, a version of the Lyme disease vaccine is available for dogs, but humans should not receive this vaccine.
