COVID-19 vaccine, check. Flu vaccine, check. Lyme Disease shot?
According to studyfinds.org, a new vaccine to protect against the tick-borne illness is showing promise. Researchers at Yale University say instead of stimulating an immune response to Lyme itself, the vaccine goes to work against the tick’s saliva at the point of the bite, giving it less time to feed on its host. The new vaccine uses the same mRNA technology as the COVID vaccine. Working with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the Yale team found the vaccine protected guinea pigs, even if the tick were not removed immediately.
The research team cautions that more work will be needed before it’s known if the vaccine will protect humans.
Lyme is a bacterial infection caused when the tick bites, leaving a telltale bullseye shaped rash. If not treated quickly, the disease can cause severe health problems.
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