Health No vaccine against ticks

No vaccination against tick bites. Prevention is still the best remedy.

(06.07.2010) Is there a vaccine against ticks? The answer is no. Time and again worried people ask their family doctors, if there is a vaccine against ticks. Many citizens are worried about their health, but the best remedy for ticks is still prevention.

It's ticks time and people are understandably worried about their health. But a panic is unfounded, because if you protect yourself as a precautionary and after an outdoor day the body after possibly tightly ticks examined, you can prevent serious diseases such as Lyme disease or the dangerous early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE). In particular, one should search the body in skin folds such as the back of the knee, armpits, groin and genital area, neck and head. If the body is examined within 24 hours, the risk of Borrelioseinfektion significantly reduced, because only after about 24 hours, the pathogens of the disease are transmitted. Ticks can be removed with a so-called tick tweezers. If you are unsure, the tick should rather be removed by a doctor or naturopath.

"If you discover a tick on your body, you should use a pair of tweezers, a tick-lift or your fingers to quickly pry it out of the skin as soon as possible, in order to interrupt the transmission of pathogens from the tick to the human being." Bernhard Jungnitz, Head of the Medical Service at the Unna district. If red spots remain on the body for a longer period, it is advisable to see a doctor.

Inoculation against tick-borne encephalitis is possible, for the Lyme disease there is no vaccine. The TBE vaccination is recommended by the official authorities for the risk areas Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and partly Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse for many outdoor stays.

But how best to protect yourself from ticks? The best protection against ticks is clothing. Especially children outdoors should wear long, white trousers, which can be tied with a cuff at the bottom. It is also recommended to wear sturdy shoes and T-shirts with long sleeves. In case of doubt you should avoid the habitat of the ticks. Ticks mostly stay in the grass on meadows and bushes.

Ticks do not fall from trees, as many suspect. Open body parts can also be protected with insect repellent. However, such chemical agents are not exactly healthy for your own skin. Therefore, a permanent use especially in children should be avoided. However, naturopathy knows also natural repellents, so there are in the health food store sprays or lotions to buy. The sprays contain essential oils of anise, lavender, rosemary, tea tree, citronella or patchouli. These lotions irritate and displace insects, but these naturopathic remedies must be applied hourly. (Sb)

Also read:
Ticks: TBE status on yellow
Prevention: Do not panic with ticks
Ticks: alarm in Germany?
Ticks: increase in Lyme disease cases

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