cchelberg8h ago
Dr. Lucky Tran

Pfizer just announced that its Lyme disease vaccine reduced the number of tick-borne infections by over 70% in a phase 3 trial.

Warning: GSK pulled a Lyme vaccine in 2002 despite studies showing it posed no serious safety risks.

Any new Lyme vaccine is going to be a huge target for antivaxxers.

Mar 23 at 9:36pmMastodon for iOS
Show threadDr. Lucky Tran19h ago
Source: https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-valneva-announce-lyme-disease-vaccine-candidate
Show threadHamishB22318h ago

But with climate change moving ticks' range farther north every year, a Lyme disease vaccine would be very welcome!

@luckytran

Show threadGeoWend18h ago
@luckytran
....I am going to get that one as quickly as possible. (Had Lyme enough times living in WVA)
Show threadNomdeb18h ago
@luckytran Given that it's not contagious, I have no issue with anti-vaxxers getting Lyme as long as they don't need public health support. Not their kids of course. :( Yes, I feel very savage about anti-science, anti-reason, anti-data, anti-vaxxers who are harming others. But if they just harm themselves, have at it.
Show threadNazani18h ago
@luckytran AITA for wanting all MAGA to get alpha-gal syndrome?
Show threadDr Neenah Estrella-Luna18h ago
@Nazani @luckytran No. Not at all.
Show threadKanaMauna17h ago
@luckytran Well how about this: if they can ban what I inject into my body, can I forcibly inject Lyme disease into their bodies? It’s time for war.
Show threaddisorderlyf16h ago
@luckytran As someone who grew up in a place infamous for having ticks everywhere, shut up and take my money! (assuming I even have to pay for it)
Show threadMichael Collins / Mr. 30㎝ / 🍆💦  🔞16h ago
@luckytran
It's going to be funny watching any Trump supporter getting turned into a vegetarian after they come back from hunting.
Show threadAskPippa🇨🇦12h ago

@mike @luckytran The meat allergy is from a different type of tick and is a different condition, but yeah, I know what you mean.
Even worse, it's called Alpha-gal syndrome which kinda' sounds like the head-gal at the sorority.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alpha-gal-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20428608

Alpha-gal syndrome - Symptoms and causes

Mayo Clinic
Show threadMichael Collins / Mr. 30㎝ / 🍆💦  🔞5h ago
@AskPippa @luckytran TIL! Thank you!
Show threaddraNgNon15h ago
@luckytran aren't there new age-y type people who think having Lyme disease conveys them spiritual superiority?
Show threadBebadefabo14h ago
@luckytran I can haz lyme vaccine in US?
Show threadEm & future cats 🇺🇦🐈🏳️‍🌈14h ago
@luckytran I AM SO THRILLED FOR THIS VACCINE!!!💉 sorry it’s been so long with having so many of my friends and family members get SUPER sick with this disease and worried sick about catching it myself that I will literally SCREAM AT THE ANTIVAXERS if they so much as peep at me with their nonsense (again sorry for the outburst 😹)
Show threadFelis_Catus_Domesticus13h ago
@luckytran
Show threadChris Laprun ⏚9h ago
@luckytran pardon my ignorance but why would a Lyme disease vaccine be more of a target for antivaxxers than any other vaccines? Or is it just because it’s a *new* vaccine targeting something that wasn’t already covered?
Show threadChris Laprun ⏚9h ago
@luckytran isn’t 70%+ rather low in term of efficacy?
Obviously better than nothing and I would most likely get vaccinated when/if it becomes available but less than 90% efficacy doesn’t really provide full peace of mind…
That said, I have no idea what’s the efficacy of the other vaccines I’m currently vaccinated with. 🤷
Show threadKoen Hufkens, PhD9h ago
@metacosm @luckytran Swiss cheese model of security. Decrease the chance of contraction on various levels and your overall infection risk will be lower. Mostly you use sprays and physical barriers to do this, this gives you an option should you still get bitten - i.e. anything helps and there is no downside.
Show threadChris Laprun ⏚7h ago
@koen_hufkens @luckytran yes but I already use all I can and I've been bitten several times already, even once where suspected infection occurred (spending the end of year holidays on heavy doses of antibiotics was *not* fun!)… so sure, this reduces the chances but it still isn't peace of mind to not have to worry for a couple of weeks after being bitten… because chances are already pretty low if you do things right but it doesn't prevent worrying, which is what I'm after. 😅
Show threadKoen Hufkens, PhD6h ago
@metacosm @luckytran There are no vaccines against worrying I'm afraid.
Show threadChris Laprun ⏚5h ago
@koen_hufkens @luckytran for sure! 😅
But vaccines that have greater efficacy help on that front… I guess what I’m after is a vaccine that would all but guarantee that you wouldn’t get infected when bitten, so something like 95+% efficacy.
Show threaddasgrueneblatt7h ago

@metacosm Even 10% would be great! I cannot avoid ticks, so anything better than nothing is, well, still better?!

@luckytran

Show threadKerplunk9h ago

@luckytran

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran

Pfizer just announced that its Lyme disease vaccine reduced the number of tick-borne infections by over 70% in a phase 3 trial.

Thank you for the info, in the part of Germany I live in we have massive tic borne disease risk and more tics than I have ever seen before.

Hope the vaccine is released soon.

Show threadUriel Fanelli5h ago
@luckytran natural selection is everywhere, like air. You can't see it, but is there. Just accept it.