Some Canine Lyme Symptoms

The vaccine, called Lymerix, is not a simple fix and several factors must be considered before getting the vaccine. To begin with, most experts say Lymerix isn't for everyone - particularly those whose ventures into the great outdoors are limited to their back yards.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends those who live or work in high-risk areas consider getting the vaccine, particularly if their work or lifestyle frequently places them in tick habitat - areas of brush and hardwood forest.

The metro area is relatively free of ticks. Most Twin Cities residents who get Lyme disease got it somewhere else - usually at their cabins up north, Neitzel said.

One possible complication involved in choosing to get the vaccine is a side effect called treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that about 10% of the 298 people who had an adverse reaction reported in the vaccine's first year of use developed arthritis.

But SmithKline Beecham spokeswoman Carmel Hogan said her company found “no unusual patterns or adverse events” involving arthritis. The FDA and an independent evaluation board came to the same conclusion, she said. “Our conclusion is that the vaccine is safe and well-tolerated,” Hogan said.

That view was echoed by Dr. Ned Hayes, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins, Colorado. “There's no evidence that the vaccine causes arthritis,” he said.

Other considerations in the decision to get the vaccine include the cost, the length of time before being fully protected, and the uncertainty over how long the vaccine is effective, said Dr. David Persing, a former Mayo Clinic tick expert who now works at a biotechnology company in Seattle, Washington.

The vaccine is given in a three-shot series. The first two doses come a month apart and the third dose is given 11 months later, though guidelines may change in the future to allow shorter intervals between injections. The cost of each dose ranges between $50 and $75.

People starting the vaccine series now wouldn't be fully protected until next year, Persing said. Even then the vaccine is only about 80% effective.

Another concern, Persing said, is that it's unclear how long the vaccine's protection lasts. Booster shots could be needed in a year or two, Persing said, and there are no data showing the long-term safety or risks of repeated injections.

“This is a new disease dog lyme symptom with unknown side effects,” said Nordin. “If you're not at risk for Lyme disease, then you don't want to get the vaccine.”

For most people, tick-bite prevention remains the best course, experts said, even for those who have been vaccinated.

Lyme Disease