Spring and summer are still far away, but today it is worth thinking about how to effectively protect yourself against the threat of tick-borne encephalitis. Unfortunately, the risk of contracting this dangerous disease basically applies to all of us, especially when we like to actively spend time outdoors, go hiking or cycling, ride a horse or simply spend weekends or holidays on a forest plot. Both adults and children are at risk. Vaccines are one of the most effective methods of preventing infection.
Tick-borne encephalitis is endemic in the north-eastern and south-western Poland. It also occurs in many European countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, southern Germany, Our Country, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. When planning a stay in these areas, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling ill by vaccinating before the beginning of the holiday season. Unfortunately, appropriate clothing, barrier creams that reduce the risk of a tick bite, may turn out to be insufficient protection. And there is something to protect against.
Every year in Poland, tick-borne encephalitis affects more and more people, mainly from the Podlaskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Dolnośląskie voivodeships. The growing number of patients in the Mazowieckie voivodship is noteworthy. It should be remembered that infected ticks are increasingly appearing in urban areas. For example, residents of Warsaw should exercise caution while walking in the Bielany Forest Park or Kabacki Forest.
Symptoms of infection sometimes appear a few days after the bite and resemble the flu – many patients experience high fever and muscle aches. Most patients recover spontaneously at this stage of the disease, unfortunately some of them involve the central nervous system. There are neurological symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, neck stiffness and even loss of consciousness.
Tick-borne encephalitis is an infection of the nervous system that often leaves permanent neurological defects and is fatal in 1% of cases. In order to avoid tick-borne diseases, it is worth thinking about protecting yourself against them in winter. Vaccination is the most effective method of prophylaxis, says the drug. med. Agnieszka Motyl, epidemiologist.
The vaccine is administered intramuscularly, most often in the arm; in special cases, e.g. in patients with hemorrhagic diathesis, the preparation may be administered subcutaneously.
– The vaccine we provide at Medicover is safe for both adults, children and adolescents – it protects against tick-borne encephalitis and its consequences. Vaccination is most often carried out in 3 doses. The first dose should be taken on the chosen day, the second one after one month, and the third one after a further 9 months after the second dose. Immunity is produced after just two doses, but only taking a full, 3-dose cycle guarantees its duration for 3 years – emphasizes Dr. Małgorzata Drobnicka-Stępień, infectious diseases specialist at Medicover.
You can get vaccinated at any time. Contraindications to vaccination are: acute infectious disease, exacerbation of chronic diseases, hypersensitivity to vaccine components (formaldehyde, neomycin, gentamicin, ovalbumin).