Tick-borne encephalitis: new paradigms in a changing vaccination environment

Abstract

The International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW TBE) held its 13th Annual Meeting in February 2011 to discuss epidemiological developments, news in TBE research, initiatives of the European Union, vaccination-immune response, clinical cases and TBE consequences, awareness of TBE prevention and the role of the ISW TBE to break vaccination fatigue. TBE may be considered a complex system, characterized by an intricate interplay between tick biology and socioeconomic conditions. The same may be said about vaccination behaviour. Thus, although the facts are simple--vaccination is the best prevention--the socioeconomic conditions keep changing, and with them the ability or willingness of people to get vaccinated. The ISW TBE is part of this complex system, and because the world keeps changing--so should the strategies.