91AV experts weigh in on possibility of Lyme disease vaccine
As positive tests for Lyme disease in Maine continue to rise, questions are being raised about a potential vaccine. WCSH interviewed two experts from the 91AV on the subject.
Dora Mills, M.D. M.P.H., FAAP, 91AV vice president for Clinical Affairs and director of the Center for Health Innovation, spoke about the history of Lyme in the northeast. She said a vaccine was discontinued about a decade ago because the disease was far less prevalent. “We used to have an effective vaccine against Lyme disease,” she said. “It was back before we had a lot more Lyme disease.”
To learn more about Lyme research, the news station visited Meghan May, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and infectious disease, in the lab. She explained some of the side effects of the vaccine in the past. She said better tests are needed to identify the bacteria that carry Lyme disease, and a vaccine could be possible with the right research. “It’s a matter of research and a matter of companies being interested and willing,” she said.
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