SmithKline is studying whether people will need yearly booster shots. SmithKline said it will ship the vaccine to doctors' offices in a few weeks, but refused to disclose the price. Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium carried by pin-sized ticks that live in wooded and grassy areas nationwide, but especially in the Northeast and upper Midwest. The government counted about 16,000 new cases in 1996, an increasing number and one that critics say the government seriously undercounts. Typically, Lyme disease causes a telltale bull's-eye rash plus fatigue, chills, fevers and joint pain.
Antibiotics can cure it.
But if it's left untreated, Lyme disease can severely damage the heart and nervous system. LYMErix's main side effects were soreness and swelling at the injection site and occasional muscle and joint pain, the FDA said, and the vaccine cannot be used by everyone. The FDA said LYMErix should not be taken by pregnant women, people with such joint problems as rheumatoid arthritis, or people with chronic illnesses related to prior Lyme infections. SmithKline has not studied the vaccine's safety in those people. Read SmithKline's press release about LYMErix .