LYMErix, the first vaccine against the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, debuted in 1999. Three years later the manufacturer pulled it from the market amid a flurry of lawsuits that claimed the vaccine could cause arthritis and other problems. Although there is little evidence the vaccine caused the side effects that critics say it did, it has never been reintroduced, and no other Lyme vaccine has been approved for humans. The scandal that brought down LYMErix seems to have had a chilling effect on the entire field. My article examines the history of LYMErix and explores what it might take to get a new vaccine to market.
