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Pfizer has entered phase three of a clinical trial to develop a vaccine for Lyme disease

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Posted at 10:43 PM, Aug 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-10 01:46:04-04

Pfizer has entered phase three of a clinical trial to develop a vaccine called VLA15 for Lyme disease. As of right now there are no FDA approved vaccines for Lyme disease. The last treatment, Lymerix, was pulled from the market about 20 years ago.

"When you get to a phase three trial that means you've had some very good evidence in humans that is is effective, probably, and safe," said Dr. Brian Roberts, Owner & Medical Director of Med Stop Urgent Care Center Madonna Plaza.

The disease affects more people in the Northeast and upper Midwest regions of the country.

Occurrences of Lyme disease are rare in most counties here in California.

Many cases of Lyme disease present in in the state are the result of someone visiting a high-risk state and being infected.

Most Californians I spoke to say they have never heard of the disease.

"No, I've never heard of it actually," said visitor Jocelin Lopez.

"I'm not too knowledgeable about it. I personally don't know anybody with lime disease so it hasn't affected me too much," said Jordan Hewitt.

"I've never heard of it," said visitor Rachael Garza.

Very few people we spoke to know someone in California who has had the disease.

"We know someone for a fact who came down with Lime Disease after she cleaned her storage space and she got it and got deathly ill," said Ms. Gonzales.

Dr. Roberts explains this vaccine would prevent people from getting the disease.

The disease can be hard to diagnose, but a tell tale sign is a bulls eye rash that appears after one is bitten.

"One of the things that's interesting about Lime disease is, as I said, it's more common in kids. That probably has to do with the fact that the tic has to be embedded in you for three days," said Dr. Roberts.

Visitor Rachael Garza says all the new vaccine developments are hard to follow.

"We just, we've dealt without any type of vaccine at all, and just nowadays it seems there's a vaccine for each thing that's coming out, so It's all new to us. It keeps us skeptical about things," said Garza.

Others are excited about the rapid developments in modern medicine.

"I think that's great if they can do that. If they can do it for any other kind of disease, why not?" said Gonzales.

Pfizer says they could potentially submit a vaccine application for approval to the FDA by 2025.