Why Italy’s Lyme rash vaccine is proving a success

It was the moment of truth for Italy as it rolled out its new lyme vaccine.
The first injection into the head was administered to more than a thousand people.
The result: an 80 percent reduction in infections.
“We will have to wait a while to see if the results are good, but it is good news and it gives hope that the vaccine can be effective in people with a severe form of the virus,” Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta said.
A further round of injections into the bloodstreams of people with the virus was due later this week, with the first being administered to 100,000 people.
A second round will be administered in the first week of February.
“It’s important to remember that the lyme disease is a serious illness that can lead to death,” Letta told the news agency ANSA.
“The number of deaths is only a fraction of the overall death rate in Italy.”
Lyme is very contagious.
There are some people who can be isolated but for the majority it is not the case.
“The vaccine was developed by Sanofi Pasteur, a French company.
It is also being developed by GSK and Pfizer, the world’s two largest drugmakers, and it is expected to be available in the coming weeks.
In a press conference held after the injection, Letta called the vaccine a “world-first”.”
It is a vaccine that is now ready for the global market,” he said.”
Italy’s new vaccine is an outstanding example of the best possible strategy to fight this disease,” he added.”
This vaccine was invented by the state and the government, and we are grateful for their efforts.
“In the meantime, we have a lot of work to do and we hope that by the end of this year, the results will be good.”