Web 57DHYAFZZFLWEG April 24 2026 Lyme ACIP Halting
First Responders Dinner Trivial Pursuit
R Junior Song Cycle One
Trivial Question. Is there a Lyme Disease Vaccine?
Short Answer. The ACIP of R Junior will recommend
The currently being developed Lyme Disease Vaccine.
Or the ACIP of R Junior will not recommend
The currently being developed Lyme Disease Vaccine.
A vaccine for Lyme disease is not currently available.
Long Answer delivered in a halting voice by R Junior.
From the perspective of a lawyer who is not medically trained.
The only vaccine previously marketed in the United States,
LYMERix was discontinued by the manufacturer in 2002,
citing insufficient consumer demand. Protection provided
by this vaccine decreases over time. Therefore, if you received
this vaccine before 2002, you are no longer protected against Lyme disease.
Clinical trials of new vaccines for Lyme disease are currently underway.
Valneva and Pfizer have developed a Lyme disease vaccine candidate,
VLA15, that is currently in Phase 3 human trials. VLA15 is a multivalent,
protein subunit vaccine that targets the outer surface protein A (OspA)
of Borrelia. This vaccine is designed to protect people against
North American and European strains of the Lyme disease bacterium.
The University of Massachusetts Medical School’s MassBiologics
developed a human monoclonal antibody intended for pre-exposure
prophylaxis (PrEP) against Lyme disease. In 2025, MassBiologics
licensed the technology to Tonix Pharmaceuticals, which is planning
human clinical studies. This approach would provide seasonal protection
against Lyme disease and would likely consist of a single shot
that people would get each year before exposure to ticks.
What is CDC doing? CDC is conducting research to better understand
what concerns healthcare providers and the public may have about
any potential Lyme disease vaccine. If a Lyme disease vaccine is approved
as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
CDC will work with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
to develop recommendations about who and where in the U.S.
the public might benefit from a Lyme disease vaccine. CDC will communicate
these recommendations to the public and healthcare providers.