On 2017 Feb 08, Raphael Stricker commented:

Another Lyme OspA Vaccine Whitewash

The meta-analysis by Zhao and colleagues comes to the conclusion that "the OspA vaccine against Lyme disease is safe and its immunogenicity and efficacy have been verified." The authors arrive at this sunny conclusion by excluding 99.6% of published articles that demonstrate potential problems with the OspA vaccine. Furthermore, the authors ignore peer-reviewed studies, FDA regulatory meetings and legal proceedings that point to major problems with OspA vaccine safety (1-3). This whitewash bodes ill for future Lyme vaccine candidates because it fosters disregard for vaccine safety among Lyme vaccine manufacturers and mistrust among potential Lyme vaccinees.

References 1. Stricker RB (2008) Lymerix® risks revisited. Microbe 3: 1–2. 2. Marks DH (2011) Neurological complications of vaccination with outer surface protein A (OspA). Int J Risk Saf Med. 23: 89–96. 3. Stricker RB, Johnson L (2014) Lyme disease vaccination: safety first. Lancet Infect Dis. 14(1):12.

Disclosure: RBS is a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) and a director of LymeDisease.org. He has no financial or other conflicts to declare.

On 2017 Feb 08, Raphael Stricker commented:

Another Lyme OspA Vaccine Whitewash

The meta-analysis by Zhao and colleagues comes to the conclusion that "the OspA vaccine against Lyme disease is safe and its immunogenicity and efficacy have been verified." The authors arrive at this sunny conclusion by excluding 99.6% of published articles that demonstrate potential problems with the OspA vaccine. Furthermore, the authors ignore peer-reviewed studies, FDA regulatory meetings and legal proceedings that point to major problems with OspA vaccine safety (1-3). This whitewash bodes ill for future Lyme vaccine candidates because it fosters disregard for vaccine safety among Lyme vaccine manufacturers and mistrust among potential Lyme vaccinees.

References 1. Stricker RB (2008) Lymerix® risks revisited. Microbe 3: 1–2. 2. Marks DH (2011) Neurological complications of vaccination with outer surface protein A (OspA). Int J Risk Saf Med. 23: 89–96. 3. Stricker RB, Johnson L (2014) Lyme disease vaccination: safety first. Lancet Infect Dis. 14(1):12.

Disclosure: RBS is a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) and a director of LymeDisease.org. He has no financial or other conflicts to declare.