Pfizer and Valemba are seeking regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration for their investigational Lyme disease vaccine, which is more than 70% effective against the tick-borne disease. The number of people infected in the study was lower than expected, making it difficult to evaluate the vaccine’s effectiveness on a large scale.
When compared to a placebo, the vaccine had a 73.2% efficacy rate against confirmed Lyme disease cases starting 28 days after the fourth dose.
Pfizer said in a recent statement that it is now preparing for a “regulatory submission” after a second analysis of the plan and is even more confident in its “vaccine potential.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is the most common disease transmitted through tick bites. There is currently no approved vaccine available to prevent Lyme disease. Lyme disease is transmitted by the black-legged tick and the western black-legged tick, commonly known as the deer tick. The CDC estimates that approximately 476,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year.
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How the Lyme disease vaccine works
The outer surface of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, known as the OspA protein, is the focus of the company’s vaccine. The shot produces protective antibodies that are passed on to the tick when it bites a vaccinated person, preventing the spread of bacteria from the tick to its human host. The first year of the series consists of three shots, followed by a booster shot the following year. Here’s how it works:
Can Lyme disease be cured?
Characteristic symptoms of the acute phase of Lyme disease include a “bull’s eye” rash (erythema migrans), fever, chills, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain. Without treatment, Lyme disease can progress and cause nerve, heart, and joint problems.
Lyme disease can be cured if treated early, especially with the appropriate administration of antibiotics for 2 to 4 weeks. Most patients recover completely from this condition. According to the CDC, Borrelia burgdorferi infection is usually eradicated with prompt treatment, but some people experience persistent symptoms after treatment, called Lyme disease syndrome.
Where is Lyme disease most prevalent in the United States?
As temperatures rise due to climate change, tick populations are expanding into new areas, exposing more people to ticks and their disease-causing bacteria. The annual number of infected people is expected to continue to increase.
In high-risk areas, an estimated 10% to 50% of black-legged ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. These high-risk areas include:
- Eastern states, primarily New England and the mid-Atlantic coast.
- Great Lakes region and upper Midwest, especially Wisconsin and Minnesota
- West Coast, especially parts of Northern California and, less commonly, Oregon and Washington.
How to protect yourself from tick bites
The CDC and other public health authorities recommend the following to protect you and your family from ticks:
- If you spend a lot of time outdoors, treat your clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin, or purchase such items already pretreated with permethrin.
- Consider long pants and knee socks instead of shorts.
- Avoid tall grass and fallen leaves. When hiking, try to stay in the center of the trail.
- Regularly inspect your clothing and equipment for ticks.
- Click here to learn how to properly remove ticks if they get on your skin.
Sources Pfizer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins University, USA TODAY study
This story has been updated to add new information.
