Wash it off promptly once you get home. Wearing light-colored clothing can make it easier to spot ticks. If you go hiking with the family, check for ticks from time to time. At the end of the day, examine everyone's skin carefully. Taking a shower will remove ticks that haven't become firmly attached.
Pets can pass ticks along to the rest of the family.
The new vaccine is called Lymerix. It reduces the risk of getting the disease, but it doesn't offer 100 percent protection and hasn't yet been approved for children under 12. After two doses, the vaccine has been shown to be only 50 percent effective. After all three shots, it's 78 percent effective. That's better than nothing, but it still means you should take all the other precautions.