How to protect your child from the consequences of a tick bite
With the warm season, the ticks also become active again. Children in particular like to be outdoors a lot. This increases the risk of being bitten by a tick in the meadow or forest and becoming infected with Lyme disease bacteria or TBE viruses. Read here what you need to know about vaccination and what other options there are to protect your child from the consequences of a tick bite.
The nasty little bloodsuckers usually sit in tall grass or bushes and like to drop onto the skin. There they attach themselves and can transmit Lyme disease or early summer meningoencephalitis (FSME).
Lyme disease is often difficult to detect. Symptoms of illness often do not appear until weeks after the tick bite. If Lyme disease is detected early, the disease can be treated well with antibiotics.
The situation is different with TBE. This is a viral infection that leads to inflammation of the meninges and spinal cord. Only the symptoms, such as fever or pain, can be treated. The pathogen itself cannot be combated. There is only prevention through vaccination.
Vaccination is considered the most effective protection against the consequences of infection with TBE. This applies to everyone who is outdoors a lot and especially affects small children. Because they like to play a lot in nature and usually close to the ground.
.Especially if you live in a so-called risk area or want to go on vacation there, the "Standing Vaccination Commission", STIKO for short, recommends vaccination. You can view a map of tick risk areas at the Robert Koch Institute. This will make it easier for you to assess your risk.
Vaccination is considered well tolerated. The STIKO recommends it as the safest protection against early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE) for children as young as 12 months. There are two approved vaccines. As a side effect, children may experience fever for a few days. As children get older, this side effect decreases.
Three vaccinations are needed to build long-term protection, which lasts about five years. The protective effect already occurs after the second vaccination. The vaccinations are usually administered over a period of twelve months. If necessary, there is the possibility of obtaining full vaccination protection within five weeks.
The Federal Center for Health Education, BZgA, recommends that parents seek advice from their pediatrician's office and weigh the risks and benefits with a health care professional.
The cost of a TBE vaccination is between 30 and 50 euros. If you live in a "risk area", the health insurance will cover the cost of the vaccination. Possibly this also applies if you want to go on vacation in a risk region. Clarify this question best before the trip with your health insurance.
.A tick vaccination is only effective against TBE, a vaccination against borriolosis is not possible. Therefore, you should always protect your child from tick bites if possible. These tips can help:
.
For questions about tick protection and possible vaccination, you can contact your pediatrician's office.
For information about vaccination against TBE, visit the website of the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).
Answers to frequently asked questions about the TBE vaccination can be found on the website of the Robert Koch Institute.