Combating Tick-Borne encephalitis: Vaccination rates on the rise

The 10^th annual meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) was entitled "Combating TBE: Vaccination rates on the rise". The incidence of TBE has increased in several European countries endemic for this potentially debilitating central nervous system infection. Among the countries most affected are Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, and the Baltic States. In many regions, the three basic requirements for optimal living conditions for ticks, i.e., humidity above 85%. temperatures above 6-7°C, and the presence of large numbers of hosts, have been changing in favor of the tick population. Austria has the highest TBE vaccination rate (88%) in Europe. Although recent years have seen increases in the vaccination rates in some countries, coverage is still too low to offer adequate protection. Presently, no clear recommendations for travelers exist. The ISW-TBE has initiated programs geared towards increasing appreciation of TBE in countries where the disease is largely unknown and towards incorporating travel-related considerations when drawing up vaccination recommendations.