Because it takes a series of three shots to build up to full immunity. So, ''the time to start getting it is right now,'' advises Phillip Baker, Lyme disease chief at the National Institutes of Health. Lyme disease is a serious illness caused by deer ticks the size of a pin that live in wooded and grassy areas nationwide, but especially in the Northeast, from Maryland up to Maine, and in Wisconsin and Minnesota. About 16,000 new cases are reported each year, a number that scientists such as Baker expect to drop in just a few years because of the new vaccine LYMErix. Then comes fatigue, chills, fevers and joint pain that can persist for weeks.
Some people develop serious arthritis.
If untreated, Lyme disease also can severely damage the heart and nervous system. Antibiotics can cure Lyme. But the earlier treatment starts, the better - yet there's no good test to diagnose Lyme, and not everyone suffers early Lyme symptoms and thus knows to seek care. Check yourself and your children regularly for ticks. Wear long sleeves and pants tucked into socks or boots when venturing into tick-prone areas like unmowed grass or brush.