What is the vaccine called after a tick bite? - briefly
There is no vaccine for a tick bite; instead, a single dose of doxycycline is administered as post‑exposure prophylaxis for Lyme disease.
What is the vaccine called after a tick bite? - in detail
A bite from an ixodid tick does not trigger a specific immunization named after the encounter. Clinical practice addresses the risk of infectious agents transmitted by the arthropod rather than the bite itself. The following preventive measures are routinely recommended:
- Tetanus toxoid – indicated when the skin is punctured or torn and the patient’s immunization status is uncertain or outdated. The vaccine is administered as a standard tetanus booster (Td or Tdap) according to national schedules.
- Rabies vaccine – required only if the tick is attached to a mammal known to be infected with rabies or if local health authorities deem the exposure high‑risk. The regimen follows the standard post‑exposure prophylaxis schedule (four doses on days 0, 3, 7, 14, with a fifth dose on day 28 for immunocompromised individuals).
- Lyme disease prophylaxis – no licensed vaccine is presently available. Prevention relies on a single dose of doxycycline (200 mg) taken within 72 hours of removal when the tick is identified as an adult Ixodes scapularis or Ixodes pacificus and the attachment time exceeds 36 hours. This regimen is recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Other tick‑borne infections (e.g., anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever) lack dedicated vaccines; management consists of early antibiotic therapy when indicated. Consequently, the term “vaccine after a tick bite” refers to the tetanus booster, rabies immunization, or, in rare circumstances, a targeted prophylactic regimen, rather than a single, universally named product.