Ticks in Vaud: Lyme disease and TBE
Ticks live in forests, hedges and tall grass across Switzerland up to about 2000 m. They can pass on Lyme disease (borreliosis) and TBE (tick-borne encephalitis, FSME in German). This page explains prevention, how to remove a tick, when to see a doctor and the TBE vaccine.
Key facts
- TBE risk area: all of Switzerland except the canton of Ticino, so Vaud is a risk area (FOPH / OFSP).
- TBE vaccine: recommended from age 3 for people exposed to ticks in a risk area; 3 doses, booster every 10 years if exposure continues.
- Cost: covered by compulsory health insurance (LAMal). Since 1 January 2026 vaccinations are exempt from the deductible; the 10 % co-payment still applies (FOPH, Prise en charge des coûts des vaccinations). In a pharmacy, the vaccine is only reimbursed with a doctor's prescription, and you always pay the vaccination act yourself.
- Lyme disease: no vaccine; treatable with antibiotics. The FOPH estimates about 10,000 cases a year in Switzerland.
- After a bite: remove the tick quickly with fine tweezers, disinfect, and see a doctor if fever or other symptoms appear.
1. Ticks and the diseases they carry
The FOPH says ticks live in deciduous forests with grassy, shrubby undergrowth and are found throughout Switzerland up to about 2000 m. They can transmit:
- TBE: a virus. Most infected people have no symptoms. In some, flu-like symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after the bite; the central nervous system is affected in 5 to 15 % of infected people (headache, sensitivity to light, dizziness, problems with concentration and walking), which can last weeks or months.
- Lyme disease (borreliosis): a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. It is treated with antibiotics. There is no vaccine.
- Much more rarely, ehrlichiosis or rickettsiosis (bacteria).
The official TBE vaccination recommendation map is on map.geo.admin.ch (layer "FSME, vaccination recommandée"), linked from the FOPH TBE page.
2. Prevention
FOPH advice:
- Wear clothing that covers your skin; light colours make ticks easier to spot.
- Use repellent on skin and clothes.
- Avoid undergrowth where possible.
- After a walk in the woods, check your body and clothes for ticks. Check pets too.
For trail markings and general hiking safety, see Hiking and mountain safety.
3. How to remove a tick
The FOPH says to remove ticks as quickly as possible: grip the tick with fine tweezers just above the skin and pull with a steady, continuous pull. Then disinfect the bite.
4. When to see a doctor
The FOPH says: if you get fever or other symptoms after a tick bite, see a doctor. Mention the bite and when it happened. The FOPH notes that the first sign of Lyme disease can be a local redness at the bite that spreads and becomes ring-shaped, then fades within days or weeks (FOPH, Lyme disease). It can fade even if you are infected, so mention it to a doctor.
Finding a GP or pharmacy, and out-of-hours numbers: GP and pharmacy.
5. TBE vaccination
- Who: the FOPH recommends it for everyone, generally from age 3, who is exposed to ticks in a risk area (all of Switzerland except Ticino).
- Schedule: 3 injections. The first 2 are usually one month apart; the third 5 to 12 months after the second, depending on the vaccine. A booster every 10 years if exposure continues.
- Who pays: compulsory health insurance (LAMal) covers the TBE vaccine (OPAS art. 12a, letter k), or the employer for work exposure. Since 1 January 2026 vaccinations are exempt from the deductible; the 10 % co-payment still applies. In a pharmacy: without a doctor's prescription, basic insurance pays nothing (vaccine and act are at your cost); with a prescription, it pays the vaccine only. Basic insurance pays the act of vaccination only in a doctor's practice or hospital (FOPH, Prise en charge des coûts des vaccinations).
Where to get vaccinated in Vaud (Unisanté, pharmacies, GP) is on Vaccinations in Vaud.