[Immunization against tick-borne encephalitis].

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection that may cause irreversible damage to the brain and even result in death. No specific therapy exists. Active immunization is of major importance in controlling the infection. Vaccination is recommended to all adults and children > 6 years who live in endemic areas. Two inactivated vaccines are available in Switzerland. The vaccination schedule includes a basic immunization composed of 3 injections followed by boosting every 10 years. The efficacy of the vaccines has never been investigated in controlled studies, however, from indirect evidence, the vaccines are thought to cause good protection and to be safe. Local reactions at the injections site may occur in one third and mild systemic side effects in one fifth of vaccinees. Anaphylactic reactions and severe central nervous side effects are very rare.