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Hey listeners, it's Lindsay Smith-Rogers.

Today, Stephanie Desmond talks to Johns Hopkins vaccine expert Anna Durbin about the evolving

science behind a Lyme disease vaccine, which has not yet been approved, and what it could mean as

tick season ramps up. They'll explore what's changed since earlier vaccines, where the latest research

stands, and what you need to know in the meantime. Let's listen.

Anna Durbin, thanks so much for joining me. It's my pleasure, as always, Stephanie.

Today I want to talk about a Lyme disease vaccine. Why now? What's changed?

Well, you know, there was a vaccine several, several years ago that the manufacturer took off the market because of concern about

lawsuits. And it had to do with some concern that a side effect of the vaccine may cause

arthritis similar to Lyme disease. Now, that wasn't seen, for instance, in the clinical trials,

but there was some concern because the vaccine was

comprised of a protein from the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, and Lyme disease can cause

arthritis. So there was some concern that the immune response to the vaccine could cause arthritis,

although it was not seen in the clinical trials. But unfortunately, there were many

law firms that were lining up for action. So the manufacturer pulled the vaccine. This is sort of

what I would call a second generation vaccine. And it was designed to remove parts of the

protein that is responsible for arthritis.

So from that instance, it's removed that part of the protein,

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