You can book an appointment for vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis online or by calling our customer service. Vaccinations are also available in most locations without an appointment. Please check if your preferred location provides vaccination services by calling our customer service.
Book an appointment for a tick-borne encephalitis vaccination!
The vaccination protects against tick-borne encephalitis – not Lyme disease
The tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccination can prevent contracting a viral encephalitis carried by ticks. The vaccine prevents approximately nine in ten TBE infections. The vaccine is needed, in particular, by those who spend weeks or months in areas where the disease occurs and spend a lot of time outdoors. The vaccine can be given to babies over 12 months of age, although children under 7 years of age rarely contract the disease and if they do, the symptoms are usually mild. However, this matter is poorly known and even small children have been diagnosed with severe cases of brain fever caused by the TBE virus.
The vaccine does not protect against other tick-borne diseases or ticks themselves and does not prevent ticks from attaching to the skin. Tick attachment can be prevented by protective clothing and insect repellent that works on ticks. If, despite the vaccination, you have a tick bite and develop an expanding area of redness at the affected site, you may have contracted Lyme disease. You should seek medical attention without delay.
Taking a TBE vaccination
The basic immunisation for adults and children includes three intramuscular injections. The first two injections should be given during the winter months before the tick season at 1 to 3 month intervals and the third injection during the following winter season. A full immunity is achieved within two weeks after the second dose.
Accelerated vaccination programmes can also be applied to ensure immunity if the vaccinations begin later before exposure.
After the basic immunity provided by the three doses, the first booster dose is usually given in three years and the following doses every ten years for people under 50 years of age. The booster dose is given to 50–60-year-olds every five years and to 60-year-olds every three years.
For more information, please contact our customer service at +358 (0)10 414 00. Mehiläinen’s customer service is open to private customers every day from 6:00 to 22:00.
Who should not take the tick-borne encephalitis vaccination?
A serious allergy to eggs or a severe allergic reaction to a previous TBE vaccination may be contraindications to being vaccinated, if the reaction is anaphylactic in severity. Generally, those who are allergic to eggs can be vaccinated.
Tick-borne encephalitis vaccination options
Two vaccine products are available, with versions of the vaccine that are also suitable for children.
Adverse effects of the tick-borne encephalitis vaccination
The volume of adverse effect corresponds to that of other vaccines. Adverse effects may include nausea, headache, fatigue, temporary topical symptoms, sometimes aching of limbs and swelling of lymph nodes. Fever is a common symptom in small children, in particular, and mainly occurs after the first vaccine injection.
Learn more (in finnish):
• 7 facts about tick bites
• Tick bites
• Borreliosis (Lyme disease)
• Insect bites and stings – what to do with the itching?
Kaksi ensimmäistä pistosta olisi hyvä antaa talvikuukausina ennen punkkikautta 1–3 kuukauden välein ja kolmas pistos seuraavana talvikautena. Täysi suoja on voimassa kahden viikon kuluttua toisen annoksen jälkeen.
Kolmen annoksen perussuojan jälkeen ensimmäinen punkkirokotteen tehosteannos annetaan tavallisesti kolmen vuoden kuluttua. Seuraavat tehosteet annetaan alle 50-vuotiaille kymmenen vuoden välein, 50–60-vuotiaille viiden vuoden välein ja yli 60-vuotiaille sekä immuunipuutteesta kärsiville kolmen vuoden välein. Lisätietoa THL:n sivuilta.
Puutiaisaivotulehdusrokotetta voi harkita myös raskaana olevalle, jos oleskelee yli kuukauden riskialueella ja liikkuu paljon luonnossa. Imettävä äiti voi ottaa puutiaisaivotulehdusrokotteen, sillä imetys ei ole rokotteen vasta-aihe.
Punkkirokote voidaan antaa jo yksi vuotta täyttäneille lapsille. Alle 7-vuotiaat sairastuvat vain harvoin puutiaisaivotulehdukseen ja silloinkin yleensä lievin oirein. Asiaa tunnetaan kuitenkin huonosti ja pienilläkin lapsilla on diagnosoitu vaikeita aivokuumeita TBE-viruksen aiheuttamina.
Rokotetuille voi ilmaantua samankaltaisia sivuoireita kuin muistakin rokotteista, kuten
- väsymystä
- huonovointisuutta
- päänsärkyä
- lyhytaikaisia paikallisoireita
- jäsenten särkyä
- imusolmukkeiden turvotusta
Erityisesti pienillä lapsilla tavallinen oire on myös kuume, jota esiintyy lähinnä ensimmäisen rokotuskerran jälkeen.
Voit tarkistaa punkkirokotteen ajantasaisen hinnan rokotehinnastosta.
Lue punkin pureman oireista Punkin purema -sivultamme.
Punkkirokote eli puutiaisaivotulehdusrokote ei suojaa borrelioosilta tai muilta punkin levittämiltä taudeilta. Jos punkin puremasta saa rokotteesta huolimatta rinkulamaisen ihottuman, se voi kieliä borrelioosi-tartunnasta ja tällöin kannattaa hakeutua lääkäriin viipymättä.