A local doctor\u2019s office is looking for people to be part of a Lyme vaccine trial. <\/p>\n
They reached out to Channel 11 after a recent story about the push for more insurance coverage for Lyme disease testing.<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pennsylvania lawmakers work to expand insurance coverage for Lyme disease testing<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Sarah Englert was part of a clinical trial for a vaccine for Lyme disease that Preferred Primary Care Physicians were part of. There are no Lyme vaccines for humans on the market.<\/p>\n \u201cI take my puppy to the vet and they offer me the Lyme vaccine for my puppy and I\u2019m like, \u2018Well, what do you mean? My kids didn\u2019t get that but my dog can get it?\u2019 It sort of blew my mind,\u201d Sarah told us.<\/p>\n This trial focused on people with a higher potential for exposure. <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to really be a hiker or a hunter in Pittsburgh to be exposed to Lyme,\u201d said Dr. Shari Rozen, MD, with Preferred Primary Care Physicians. \u201cIf you go in your backyard, if you have a pet, if you\u2019re outside, there\u2019s potential for exposure, so this is an endemic area for Lyme.\u201d<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Lyme disease becoming year-round health concern; here\u2019s what you need to know to stay safe<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n 400 people locally were part of the trial that started two years ago. They got either a Lyme vaccine or a placebo. Sarah says her family did not have any adverse reactions, just a slightly tender arm after the shot. <\/p>\n \u201cThough it\u2019s not FDA approved, again, there\u2019s been lots of studies in hundreds of people, probably at this point thousands of people, looking at specifically safety,\u201d said Dr. Rozen. \u201cSo we know it\u2019s safe. We know it\u2019s effective.\u201d<\/p>\n The CDC says two companies are looking at the effectiveness of a Lyme disease vaccine. On its website, it says: \u201cThe CDC is conducting research to better understand what concerns healthcare providers and the public might have about any potential Lyme disease vaccine.\u201d https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/lyme\/about\/lyme-disease-vaccine.html<\/a><\/p>\n Dr. Rozen says researchers are now looking at the dosage schedule: how much of the Lyme vaccine should people get and how often? That\u2019s the next part of the trial that is about to start. Preferred Physicians are looking for 160 people to participate in it. <\/p>\n \u201cI have family members who\u2019ve had Lyme and symptoms that have been chronic,\u201d said Sarah. \u201cIt concerns me because ticks are everywhere in our area Lyme is very prevalent in this area and I want a vaccine to become available again for myself and my kids.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to be part of the next phase of the Lyme vaccine trial, the document below explains how.<\/p>\n Download the <\/b>FREE WPXI News app<\/b><\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/b><\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on <\/b>Facebook<\/b><\/a> and <\/b>Twitter<\/b><\/a>. | <\/b>Watch WPXI NOW<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92025 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n