Every year, 1.5 million people suffer from tick bites and about 27,000 contract lyme disease. Several thousand maintain long-term and disabling symptoms. "We are going to study whether a vaccine can prevent lyme disease," said Professor Joppe Hovius of Amsterdam UMC Multidisciplinary Lyme Disease Center. Volunteers who would like to be vaccinated for this study are welcome.

From April 25 to 29 is the Week of the Tick. Joppe Hovius: "It is important that new and safe methods to prevent lyme disease are developed. The number of tick bites is increasing every year and lyme disease is more common than twenty years ago."

Testing vaccine efficacy

Studies have already been done to investigate the safety and proper dosage of a vaccine in humans. Soon, the large-scale lyme vaccine study will start to test the efficacy of the vaccine, both in the United States and in Europe. The Netherlands is one of the countries in Europe participating. In the Netherlands, Hovius and colleagues at UMC Utrecht are coordinating the study, in which other centers are also participating. Hovius: "The developed vaccine is directed against different types of lyme bacteria that occur in both the United States and Europe."

Often in the green? Take part in the study

Currently, preparations for this study are in full swing. For the study, the Lyme Disease Research team is looking for people who regularly go into green spaces or have tick bites, for example because of their hobby or work. The aim is to vaccinate the first volunteers after the summer of 2022.

Are you interested in participating? Select 'Lyme Disease Research', leave your details. Once more is known, you will be contacted for more information and possible participation.