Lymerix is a vaccination for people 15 to 70 years of age who live in areas where tick bites are common, such as in grassy or wooded areas. Ticks that are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium can cause Lyme disease, which can cause chronic arthritis and neurological problems.
Over 100,000 cases of Lyme disease have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 1982. The majority of the cases occur in the Northeast, upper Midwest and Pacific coastal states.
To prevent tick bites, people should wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, use tick repellant and immediately remove attached ticks. You can tuck pants into your boots, and also tape pants and socks together to prevent any access to your skin. It usually takes about 36 hours for the harmful bacterium to be transmitted from the tick to the human, so locating and removing ticks quickly is important.
What are some important things I should know about Lymerix?
Although Lymerix is designed to prevent Lyme disease and the chronic arthritis that is associated with it, some people have contracted both diseases because of taking Lymerix. These cases have been reported to the FDA.
Lymerix is a series of three shots given over a period of one year. Many adverse reactions, such as acquiring Lyme disease and/or chronic rheumatoid arthritis from the vaccination, do not occur until all three doses have been given. Some occur before all three doses have been taken, however.
Lymerix is a vaccination for people 15 to 70 years of age who live in areas where tick bites are common, such as in grassy or wooded areas.
Lymerix is not for people who already have Lyme disease or have rheumatoid arthritis, because it could make symptoms worse.
Lymerix can cause the diseases it is designed to prevent, such as Lyme disease and the chronic rheumatoid arthritis associated with Lyme disease. Lyme disease is characterized by:
- skin rash at site of bite that looks like a bull’s eye
- flu-like symptoms
- fatigue
- muscular pain
- skin lesions
- facial paralysis
- arthritis
- neurological problems
- cardiac problems
You should contact your doctor if you think you have Lyme disease, which is noticeable by the symptoms listed above. If you did not receive the Lymerix vaccination and you have Lyme disease (which your doctor will determine through a test), you will be given an antibiotic that will help cure the rash and prevent subsequent symptoms like arthritis and neurological problems.
However, if you did receive Lymerix and then developed Lyme disease and/or rheumatoid arthritis, you should talk to your doctor about your options and then consider contacting a personal injury attorney.