ACIP proposed recommendation for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted on February 23, 2022, to recommend a TBE vaccine for people 12 months of age and older, who are travelling to TBE-endemic areas. TBE is a viral infection of the brain and spine, which can be transmitted to humans through the bite of the Ixodes species of tick, which is focally endemic in parts of Europe and Asia. About 5,000 to 10,000 cases are reported each year. The risk is seasonal and typically lasts from April to November in Europe and in Asia, from the UK, Norway down to northern Italy throughout central Europe and China to Japan. The risk may be high for American troops deployed in EurAsia, although just nine cases among military personnel assigned overseas were reported between 2006 and 2020. There were only 11 cases reported between 2001 to 2020 in American travelers, although the completeness of testing is...