Lyme Disease - Prognosis



The vast majority of patients who receive early treatment recover completely from Lyme disease. The key is that patients remain on the prescribed course of medication as directed by the doctor. Stopping medication too soon can cause relapses and reoccurrence of the disease.

A very small number of patients do not respond well to treatment. In the worst cases, people have died of the disorder. However, this is rare.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its approval to a new Lyme disease vaccine. The approval for the vaccine, which is being manufactured by the U.S. pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham, came on December 21, 1998. The vaccine was one of two new products being tested. The other vaccine was being tested by the French firm of Pasteur Merieux Connaught.

Some authorities have questioned whether a vaccine for Lyme disease is really needed. They point out that the disease can be diagnosed and treated quite easily. Members of the Lyme Disease Foundation have argued, however, that the vaccine will bring relief to countless people who may be exposed to the disease.

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