Nigrovic L E, Thompson K M
Epidemiol Infect. 2007 Jan;135(1):1-8. doi: 10.1017/S0950268806007096. Epub 2006 Aug 8.
People living in endemic areas acquire Lyme disease from the bite of an infected tick. This infection, when diagnosed and treated early in its course, usually responds well to antibiotic therapy. A minority of patients develops more serious disease, particularly after a delay in diagnosis or therapy, and sometimes chronic neurological, cardiac, or rheumatological manifestations. In 1998, the FDA approved a new recombinant Lyme vaccine, LYMErix, which reduced new infections in vaccinated adults by nearly 80%. Just 3 years later, the manufacturer voluntarily withdrew its product from the market amidst media coverage, fears of vaccine side-effects, and declining sales. This paper reviews these events in detail and focuses on the public communication of risks and benefits of the Lyme vaccine and important lessons learned.
生活在疫区的人们通过被感染的蜱虫叮咬而感染莱姆病。这种感染在病程早期被诊断并接受治疗时，通常对抗生素治疗反应良好。少数患者会发展为更严重的疾病，尤其是在诊断或治疗延迟后，有时会出现慢性神经、心脏或风湿性表现。1998年，美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准了一种新的重组莱姆疫苗LYMErix，该疫苗使接种疫苗的成年人中的新感染病例减少了近80%。仅仅3年后，在媒体报道、对疫苗副作用的担忧以及销量下降的情况下，制造商自愿将其产品撤出市场。本文详细回顾了这些事件，并重点关注莱姆疫苗风险和益处的公众沟通以及吸取的重要教训。
