Abstract
BACKGROUND: A Lyme disease (LD) vaccine is expected to become available soon. We aimed to understand recent trends in healthcare provider (HCP) willingness to recommend LD vaccination. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys among HCPs were conducted in 2018 and 2022. We compared willingness to recommend LD vaccination by survey year and provider characteristics. RESULTS: Among 3005 HCPs, 70.5 % reported willingness to recommend LD vaccination. This proportion was lower in 2022 than in 2018 (68 % vs 73 %; p < 0.01) and did not differ significantly by provider medical specialty. More HCPs in states with high LD incidence were willing to recommend the vaccine compared to HCPs in neighboring or low-incidence states (p < 0.01). Vaccine safety was the most frequently reported consideration for recommending LD vaccination (73 %). CONCLUSIONS: HCP willingness to recommend LD vaccination decreased from 2018 to 2022. Vaccination education tailored to HCPs that address vaccine safety will be critical for a successful LD vaccination program.