Reactions to Lyme Disease Vaccination

The Lyme disease vaccine is administered through injection into a muscle, most often the upper arm. This vaccine is given to help prevent Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness. This vaccine will not treat this disease if a patient already has it. Some patients may experience reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine.

Dosing

• The Lyme disease vaccine is injected into a muscle. According to Medicine Net, patients will receive a total of three doses that span a full year. After their initial dose, they will receive their second dose one month later and the third and final dose 11 months after their second dose. All doses must be administered for the patient to be fully protected from Lyme disease. Reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine can occur with any dose.

Reactions

• All patients are at risk for developing reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine. Most reactions are not serious and will eventually go away without medical intervention. However, some reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine can be serious, and the serious reactions should be immediately reported to a medical professional. According to Medicine Net, common reactions include injection site redness and pain, joint pain, fever, muscle pain, flu-like symptoms and rash. Serious reactions include severe headache; tingling of the feet, hands and face; and muscle weakness. If the common reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine get worse or do not subside, the patient should contact her physician.

Contraindications

• According to Medicine Net, certain patients may not be able to get this vaccine. Those with certain conditions may experience reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine. These conditions include allergies, recent illness, blood-clotting disorders, heart disease, previous Lyme disease, immune system deficiency disorders and arthritis.

Drug Interactions

• Taking certain other drugs or medications when getting the Lyme disease vaccine can cause different and more intense reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine. In some cases, the reactions may be life-threatening. According to Medicine Net, the drugs and medications that may need to be avoided include blood-thinning medications, immune-suppressing medications and other vaccines.

Risks and Warnings

• According to Medicine Net, allergic reactions to the Lyme disease vaccine are not common, but it they do occur the patient needs to seek immediate medical attention. The signs include rash, difficulty breathing, itching, severe dizziness and swelling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant and breast-feeding patients should avoid the Lyme disease vaccine. This vaccine may alter the results of some laboratory tests, so patients should tell their doctors that they have had the vaccine before getting any urine or blood tests done.