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If a Lyme disease vaccine gets approved, would hunters take it? : NPR
NPR • • health
Key Points:
- Tick populations are expanding due to climate change, increasing the risk of tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal-triggered red meat allergy across the U.S.
- Pfizer and Valneva plan to seek regulatory approval for a new Lyme disease vaccine, aiming to provide protection after a previous vaccine was pulled in the early 2000s amid lawsuits and public fear.
- Hunters, a group highly exposed to ticks and generally vaccine-hesitant due to demographic factors, expressed mixed views on the new vaccine, with most open to considering it pending more safety and efficacy information.
- Lyme disease can cause severe and lingering symptoms, and prior infection does not confer permanent immunity, making vaccination potentially beneficial even for those previously infected.
- The new vaccine candidate showed about 75% effectiveness in trials despite some limitations, and support from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has personal experience with Lyme disease, could influence public acceptance.
