This shot could be worse than the disease it aims to prevent
The vaccine for Lyme disease may have been one of the most dangerous shots ever created. And it could be back in your doctor’s office again before you know it.
Nineteen years ago, a shot to protect us from this tick-borne illness was approved by the FDA. And just a few years later, the company that made it, GlaxoSmithKline, swooped it off the market.
That vaccine (called LYMErix), was blamed for numerous devastating side effects — most notably a vicious type of arthritis. Experts also said it could revive dormant Lyme infections that had been causing patients no problems at all — until they got a LYMErix shot.
LYMErix is now history. But very recently, the FDA gave the okay for an eerily similar new vaccine to be tested in people — moving it another step closer to approval.
And you need to know what’s at stake right now, before you roll up your sleeve and it’s too late.
If you want to know about the LYMErix shot, just ask Jenny Marra.
Marra, a nurse from New Jersey, suffered disabling joint and muscle pain, fatigue and paralysis, soon after the second of a three-shot round.
Or Alison Schettini, who received the Lyme vaccine as one of the original participants in its “safety” trials back in 1994. Years later, she wrote how after that second shot, she hasn’t had “a ‘well’ day since.” She also said that she feels “personally responsible” for not being able to stop LYMErix.
But apparently, Schettini didn’t realize what she was up against.
It seems that many experts — including Dr. Ronald Schell, who researches Lyme disease at the University of Wisconsin — wanted it off the market, too. Seventeen years ago (shortly after LYMErix was approved) Dr. Schell told the world about his study, which found the vaccine could trigger arthritis in hamsters, saying, “I don’t think it’s safe for anyone.”
Another Lyme expert from Boston also attempted to tell the FDA about early warning signs showing the shot was dangerous — even publishing a paper that spelled out exactly why it would be so risky for so many.
And that’s because a shot of LYMErix would inject you with a protein called OspA, something that’s also found on the bacteria (called B. burgdorferi) that ticks carry that cause Lyme disease. But, as Dr. Schell discovered, in a large number of people (thought to be around 30 percent), that OspA protein can trigger autoimmune diseases such as arthritis.
That’s very likely the reason why many people who have Lyme develop severe arthritis as a result.
While LYMErix, as I said, is now off the market, the new shot being developed by a drugmaker in France appears to work in exactly the same way. This vaccine also targets the OspA protein — in fact, the plan is to target not one, but six strains of it.
Like LYMErix, it sure sounds good on paper — get the shot, and then, if you’re exposed to an infected tick, your body will launch an attack. Only now we know that in an awful lot of individuals, the attack from the shot has turned out to be a whole lot worse than the disease itself.
There’s no doubt that Lyme disease is a serious illness, one that can be hard to detect and hard to treat. But a vaccine that many experts believe can trigger such severe reactions obviously isn’t the answer.
The most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to not be exposed in the first place. While that’s not always easy, as these ticks are only as big as a poppy seed, there are still some things you can do, such as:
- Do a daily tick check if you’ve been in a wooded area, in the park, or even just mowing the lawn. The most common areas in which deer ticks attach themselves are your armpits, waist and behind the knees.
- If you’ll be spending time outdoors in the spring or summer months, spray your shoes and socks (not your skin!) with a repellent containing at least 30 percent DEET.
- Remove ticks ASAP. The longer they stay attached, the more likely they can transmit the bacteria. Don’t squeeze them or use chemicals, but lift the body up and pull it out with your fingers, tweezers or a tick removal device.
