Tick-borne encephalitis vaccine should be available for workers, advice says

People who are regularly bitten by ticks during their work should be offered the vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) by their employer, the Health Council said in advice to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. These employees have an increased risk of a TBE viral infection, and the vaccine can protect against the consequences of .

TBE is an infectious disease caused by the TBE virus spread through tick bites. The virus usually causes no symptoms or only mild, flu-like complaints. In some cases, TBE can cause meningitis or encephalitis, which can lead to long-lasting complaints or, in rare cases, death.

“People who are often in wooded areas, dunes, heathland, parks, and gardens for their work run an extra risk of a tick bite and, therefore, also of an infection with the TBE virus,” the Health Council said. It advised vaccination for employees who get five or more tick bites per year.

“Employees who may come into direct contact with the TBE virus, for example, in a laboratory, must also be offered vaccination.”

The Health Council noted that the risk of a tick bite is generally "very low" in the Netherlands. Because of that, there is no justification to roll out the TBE vaccine for the general public. "People individually can choose to get themselves vaccinated at their own expense, even if they will travel to a risk area, for example."