Tickborne encephalitis (TBE) is a severe central nervous system disease that can cause long-term complications and death. The virus is prevalent in Central and Eastern Europe, where cases have surged in the last three decades, and U.S. military personnel deployed to the European Command region are at an increased risk of exposure.
EIDB is planning three studies to speed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensure of an existing TBE vaccine for pre-deployment use in U.S. service member populations. The virus was identified by European Command as an emerging health threat to Service Members in the region.
Two TBE vaccines are available to Europeans but are not approved by the FDA, though service members deployed to Europe may receive the vaccine on a case-by-case basis. The new studies aim to characterize the experience of military personnel who received the non-FDA TBE vaccine in Europe and assess risk for incident TBEV infection among U.S. personnel serving in the European Command region.