Yes. Pfizer and Valneva announced Phase 3 trial results in March 2026 for a Lyme disease vaccine candidate called VLA15, showing more than 70% efficacy in people ages five and older.
A Lyme disease vaccine is coming soon and if you’re worried about contracting this tick-borne disease, then this is no doubt cause for celebration. Pfizer plans to submit the new vaccine for FDA approval in the second half of 2026. If approved, it would be the first Lyme vaccine since LYMErix was withdrawn in 2002.
If you live in the Boston Metro South area, where Massachusetts has declared Lyme disease an epidemic, and where roughly half of adult blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria, this news is worth paying attention to. The prospect of a vaccine looks like it could change everything. But before you walk through two-foot-tall grass in shorts, there is some context you should know.
When a vaccinated person is bitten, the antibodies created by the vaccine travel into the tick along with the blood meal. And the antibodies attack the bacteria before they can migrate to the tick’s salivary glands and enter your bloodstream. The vaccine basically works by stopping the infection during the tick bite itself, inside the tick rather than inside your body.
After a trial involving 9,400 participants, the vaccine was found to have about 73% efficacy starting 28 days after the fourth dose. The vaccine was well-tolerated and no safety concerns were identified during the trials. The vaccine itself comes with three initial doses followed by a booster the next year, timed to build immunity before tick season.
With all this said, even if the vaccine is approved, it wouldn't replace the need for tick control. Blacklegged ticks in Massachusetts also carry anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus, and a Lyme vaccine wouldn't protect against any of those. Plus, at 70-75% efficacy, the vaccine won’t eliminate all Lyme disease risk.
In the meantime, it’s a good idea to follow the 6 C's of tick control:
- Clear out leaf litter and brush
- Clean up areas that attract rodents
- Choose plants that don’t attract deer
- Check for ticks daily
- Care for pets with tick prevention
- And call a professional for yard treatment
Of the above, daily tick checks are especially important because ticks typically need 24 to 48 hours of attachment to transmit Lyme bacteria. Finding and removing them quickly, using fine-tipped tweezers and pulling straight up with steady pressure, dramatically reduces risk. If you develop a rash, fever, or joint pain within 30 days of a tick bite, consult your doctor right away.
If you’re a Boston Metro South homeowner and you want to reduce tick exposure on your property, Mosquito Squad of Boston Metro South provides barrier treatments that help reduce tick populations by up to 85-90% throughout the active season. A trained technician identifies the high-risk areas on your property and applies targeted treatments every 21 days, giving you steady protection from early spring through late fall.
