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The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is currently advising anyone living in or frequently travelling to areas where they might encounter ticks infected with TBE to consider getting vaccinated against the virus.
In their 25th of February press release, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is reminding the public that it is time for children and adults who frequently go hiking in woodland areas and have “a considerable history” of getting bitten by ticks along the coast to consider getting vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis, or TBE. Their advice also extends to the Agder, Telemark and Vestfold areas, where there have been several recorded cases of TBE in humans. The risk of infection is thought to be the highest here, and in the surrounding areas.
It is important to note that the vaccine against TBE does not protect against Lyme disease; in fact, a vaccine against Lyme disease does not yet exist. Nor can it be considered any kind of “tick vaccine”, according to the NIPH press release. The vaccine does not protect against the tick itself or its bite, only against a potential viral infection caused by a bite from a tick infected with the TBE virus. You can read more about TBE here.
Since 2018, the NIPH have observed an increase in the number of reported domestic cases of humans contracting the TBE virus. The reasons for this are unknown. Prior to 2018, there was an average of 6-12 cases reported annually, whereas in 2018, the total amount was 23, rising to 28 in 2019 and 36 in 2020, then peaking at 64 cases in 2021. An increased number of cases has been reported in the areas of Agder, Telemark and Vestfold.
