Danger from tick bites - low TBE vaccination rate in Saxony

With rising temperatures, ticks are becoming mobile in Saxony. The little animals can transmit dangerous pathogens that cause tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and Lyme disease.

As in the same period last year, one case of TBE and 134 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Saxony by mid-April. This is twelve fewer than at the same time in 2023, as the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday in response to an inquiry. According to statistics from the State Investigation Institute (LUA), the number of annual TBE cases has more than doubled since 2014, from 15 to 34 in 2023. In the previous year, the peak figure was 43.

With the exception of the independent city of Leipzig and the districts of Leipzig and North Saxony, all regions of the Free State are now classified as risk areas. If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to inflammation of the joints, heart muscle and nerves. TBE begins with flu-like symptoms, later on nervous system failures are also possible. Vaccinations are available against it, while Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics.

Vaccination rate highest in high-risk districts

According to the LUA, the TBE vaccination rate in Saxony was low compared to the rest of Germany in 2022 at 18.8 percent, with average values between 18.5 and 22.8 percent. According to the ministry, more up-to-date information is not available.

The demand for the vaccination has increased with the classification as a TBE risk area in the affected regions. In the districts that were first declared as such, the vaccination coverage rate was the highest - at 27 percent in the district of Bautzen, 26 percent in the Vogtland district and 24 percent in the district of Zwickau.

According to the LUA, the overall vaccination rates for children were significantly higher than for adults in 2022. In the group of six to nine-year-olds, 32.1 percent were vaccinated and 28.2 percent among ten to 17-year-olds. The TBE vaccination rate among 17 to 39-year-olds is reported at 12.1 percent, that of 40 to 59-year-olds at 16 percent - and 23.2 percent among the over-60s. "However, since severe courses of the disease occur predominantly in senior citizens, it is precisely these people who should protect themselves with a vaccination," said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health.