Ticks and TBE: what you need to know in the canton of Zug.
The canton of Zug is one of the TBE risk areas of Switzerland. What that means for trips into nature, and how to protect yourself.
Why the canton of Zug counts as a risk area
Ticks like it damp and shady: long grass, the edges of woods, undergrowth, gardens with leaf litter. In other words exactly what there is plenty of around Cham. They become active as soon as it is warmer than about seven degrees for several days. In mild years that means from March into November, and not only in high summer.
The canton of Zug counts as a TBE risk area. That sounds more dramatic than it is meant to, because almost all of Switzerland counts as a risk area today, with only individual regions excepted. Areas where the virus is particularly common in ticks lie mainly in north-eastern Switzerland, but they exist in almost every region. So you do not have to travel to meet an infected tick. A walk along the edge of a wood or Saturday’s gardening is enough.
Most ticks do not carry the TBE virus. A tick bite is not an emergency and in the vast majority of cases it is harmless. It is a reason to keep an eye on the spot and to know what to look out for.
From the counter
Tick bites are a subject here all year round, because the children go into the woods weekly from nursery and school. From March it becomes acute, and then the first people come to us with a bite.
What is TBE, and what is Lyme disease?
Both are transmitted by ticks, and that is where the similarity ends.
TBE stands for tick-borne encephalitis. It is caused by a virus that the tick can transmit immediately when it bites. The illness often runs in two phases: first flu-like symptoms, then in some of those affected an inflammation of the membranes of the brain or of the brain itself. There is no medicine against the virus itself, only the symptoms can be treated. But there is an effective vaccination.
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria. These are as a rule only transmitted after several hours of feeding, which is why early removal genuinely helps here. The typical first sign is erythema migrans: a reddish ring that spreads around the bite site days to weeks after the bite. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. There is no vaccination against it.
Worth knowing
The tick vaccination protects against TBE, not against Lyme disease. So anyone who is vaccinated should still take tick bites seriously and watch the bite site.
When the vaccination makes sense
The Federal Office of Public Health recommends the vaccination for everyone in the risk areas, provided they spend time in nature. Since 2024 the recommendation applies from the age of three; before that the age limit was six. Severe courses are rare in small children, so with the youngest it is weighed up individually.
In practical terms: if you go for walks, work in the garden, go into the woods with children, jog, cycle or walk dogs, you are exposed. That applies to most people in Cham.
Who benefits particularly:
- families with children who play outdoors (children are vaccinated by the paediatrician, we vaccinate from 16)
- everyone who works outdoors professionally, in forestry, in landscaping, in construction
- dog owners
- everyone who hikes or cycles a lot in the summer months
When to start, and who pays
What the vaccination schedule looks like exactly is on our vaccinations page. More important here is the question of when to start. And one more thing that many people do not know: if you have missed a booster you do not have to start again from the beginning, a single dose restores the protection.
You can begin at any time. Winter is a good time to start: after the first two doses there is already protection for the coming season, and the third then follows in summer and makes it long-term. Anyone starting only in May is only partly protected through the first season.
Compulsory health insurance covers the TBE vaccination for people aged three and over who live in a risk area or spend time in one. This requires a doctor’s prescription, and the usual deductible still applies. If you have us vaccinate you without a prescription, you pay yourself. We will work out with you beforehand which is cheaper in your case.
From the counter
The question I am asked most often is: how quickly does the vaccination work, and do you vaccinate children too? The mistaken assumption I meet most, though, is a different one: that the TBE vaccination also protects against Lyme disease. It does not.
We may vaccinate from the age of 16, without a doctor’s appointment; more on this on the vaccinations page. For children the paediatrician is responsible.
What to do after a tick bite
Stay calm and act promptly, in that order:
- Grip close to the skin. With fine tweezers or a tick card, grip right at the surface of the skin, not on the engorged body. Otherwise you press the tick’s stomach contents into the wound.
- Pull straight out. Slowly and evenly. Do not twist, do not jerk.
- No oil, no glue, no heat. These home remedies make the tick release saliva and therefore increase exactly the risk you want to avoid.
- Disinfect.
- Note the date. Do photograph the spot with your phone. If a redness appears weeks later, the date is the most important information for the doctor.
If a small remnant of the mouthparts stays in the skin, it is usually shed like a splinter.
When you should seek medical advice: if a ring-shaped redness spreads around the bite site, if fever, headache or aching limbs appear, or if you cannot remove the tick completely. If in doubt, come by and we will look at it and tell you whether it belongs with a doctor.
If you would rather not pull it out yourself
Come by. We pull it out, look at the bite site and write the date down for you. If it is sitting awkwardly, if part of it is stuck, or if the spot is already irritated, that is the better route in any case than tweezers in the bathroom. For a wound that has become inflamed, wound care is the next step, and while we are at it we will check whether your tetanus protection is still valid.
Protection before the tick bites
The vaccination is one half, behaviour outdoors the other.
- Long clothing in long grass and undergrowth, trouser legs tucked into socks. It looks inelegant, but it works.
- Light-coloured clothing, because you see the dark ticks on it sooner.
- Tick repellent on skin and clothing. We carry several preparations and will tell you which is suitable for children and how long it actually works.
- Check yourself after every trip outdoors, including children and pets. Ticks wander before they bite. Popular spots are the backs of knees, armpits, the groin, and on children the hairline and the neck. What to do after a bite on a child is described under tick bite on a child.
- Wash clothing hot or put it in the dryer. Ticks survive a normal 30-degree wash without trouble.
Important
If you are unsure whether a symptom belongs with the tick bite, just ask. You need no appointment for that.
As of 1 September 2026. Vaccination recommendations according to the Swiss vaccination schedule of the Federal Office of Public Health and infovac.ch.
Managing director and qualified pharmacy technician, with further training in biochemistry according to Dr Schuessler and the Bach flower training of the Bach Centre. A training supervisor and examination expert – anyone who wants to do their apprenticeship with us is guided by her.
Professionally reviewed by our qualified pharmacists. This article does not replace a medical diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions about ticks and TBE
Do I have to see a doctor after every tick bite?
No. Most tick bites pass without consequences. Watch the spot for four to six weeks. Go to a doctor if a ring-shaped redness spreads or if fever and aching limbs appear.
From when does the TBE vaccination work?
A first level of protection builds up after the second dose, and it is complete after the third. There are at least five months between the second and third dose, so the basic immunisation stretches over a good six months. Anyone starting in November is protected by the start of the season in spring.
Can I be vaccinated at the pharmacy?
Yes, if you are at least 16 years old and healthy. We vaccinate without a doctor's appointment and without a referral; bring your vaccination record. Without a prescription you pay for the vaccination yourself. We tell you the amount beforehand. Children and adolescents under 16 are vaccinated by the paediatrician.
Does the vaccination also protect against Lyme disease?
No. There is no vaccination against Lyme disease. However, it responds well to antibiotics if it is recognised early.
Are ticks only active in summer?
Activity begins at an outside temperature of about seven degrees. In mild winters there are therefore occasional bites even in January, but the main period lies between March and November.
What do I do if I cannot get the whole tick out?
Do not try to force it, that makes the wound bigger than necessary. Come by, we will look at the spot and remove the rest. If the bite site is already inflamed, we tell you that it belongs in a doctor's hands and do not send you home with a product.
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For healthy people aged 16 and over, without a doctor's appointment. Just bring your vaccination record. For children the paediatrician is responsible.