A child in Uppsala died in October last year after being infected with TBE – despite being fully vaccinated against the disease.
Such a serious case, I have not experienced before, says Tomas Bergström, professor and chief physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
All vaccines work better or worse. Five percent of all those who get TBE are vaccinated, says Tomas Bergström.
At the same time, at least one in four people had taken the vaccine, according to a study from 2019.
Bergström further states that there are two reasons why vaccines do not help: vaccine failure, where the vaccine does not produce antibodies, and vaccine breakthrough.
Then you have antibodies from the vaccine and still get TBE.
No vaccine provides complete protection
Charlotta Bergquist, vaccine coordinator at the Medical Products Agency, also notes that no vaccine provides 100 percent protection.
It can occur despite being vaccinated. But it is a significant risk reduction, she says.
She cannot comment on the specific case, but says that there are factors that make the vaccine protect worse.
Old age is a risk factor for a vaccine to work worse. The immune system becomes worse the older you get. If you have a disease or a condition that makes you have a poor immune system, the vaccine works worse. But it is usually better than not getting vaccinated, says Bergquist.
She also points out that it is important to follow the vaccination program and keep track of how long it has been since the last dose.
No national program
However, there is no reliable statistics on how many vaccinated people become seriously ill or die from TBE.
The problem is that it is not part of a national vaccination program. Then we do not get data on how it works in the country, says Bergquist.
