Tick borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral brain infection spread by the bite of infected ticks found in forested and rural areas across Central and Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. The ticks are most active from spring through to autumn. While many people infected with TBE experience no symptoms or only a mild flu-like illness, a proportion go on to develop neurological complications that can be serious and long lasting.
The vaccine is given as a course of three injections. The full course requires several months to complete, though an accelerated schedule can compress the first two doses to 2 weeks apart, giving reasonable protection in time for a trip. People spending time outdoors in endemic areas, whether hiking, camping, or cycling, are at the highest risk and benefit most from vaccination.
Even after vaccination, covering exposed skin, using insect repellent, and checking for ticks after time outdoors remains advisable. If you are planning an outdoor holiday in Europe or Asia and would like to know whether TBE vaccination is appropriate for your destination, call us on 0161 437 2634.
When you need this vaccine
- Travel to forested or rural areas of Central and Eastern Europe, including Austria, Germany, the Baltic states, and Scandinavia
- Travellers visiting forested parts of Russia, China, and other parts of Asia
- Camping, hiking, cycling, or other outdoor activities in wooded or grassy areas during the warmer months
- Anyone living in or moving to a TBE endemic region
- Hunters, forestry workers, and outdoor sports enthusiasts
Schedule
- Full course: 3 doses. The second dose is given 1 to 3 months after the first, and the third dose 5 to 12 months after the second.
- An accelerated schedule is available: second dose 2 weeks after the first, third dose 5 to 12 months later.
- For rapid protection before a trip, some protocols allow a dose at 0 and 14 days to give partial cover, with the third dose later.
- Boosters are recommended every 3 years for travellers with continued exposure.