(WGGB/WSHM) -- Tick season is back, and this year, a new vaccine could change the way we fight Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a debilitating bacterial infection spread by the bite of a black-legged tick. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 500,000 cases nationwide every year, the race for a vaccine is on.

Western Mass News spoke with Stephen Rich, a Professor of Microbiology at UMass Amherst, who tells us, “As soon as the snow is gone, as soon as it starts warming up above 50 degrees, the ticks will be active, they’ll be biting.”

Pfizer is currently testing a new human vaccine called VALOR; short for “Vaccine Against Lyme for Outdoor Recreationists.”

Recent data shows it is about 73% effective, and while that’s a strong start, the FDA wants to see how the vaccine performs in the most challenging conditions before giving the green light. Rich continues to explain, “The vaccine’s a good first step, but then there’s a bunch of other things that would need to be addressed. We think that the best... is to just reduce the number of tick bites that we get.”

Even if VALOR gets FDA approval, it wouldn’t be available to the public for another year or two. So, the best defense is in your own backyard.

Natasha Wright, Entomologist for Braman Termite & Pest Elimination in Agawam, says ticks are sneaky; mainly because they don’t start feeding immediately, “That cementing process takes about 24 to 48 hours before they start actually blood feeding. So, inspecting yourself early means that you can get rid of them before they’ve started sucking blood.”

Wright also tells us that ticks love “transition zones”: where your mowed lawn meets the tall grass or woods. She advises keeping vegetation trimmed short to dry out the ground.

If you decide to go out for a hike, she has some simple fashion advice that could keep ticks off your skin, “If you wear your socks over your pants, that actually helps. It’s a terrible like fashion style, but it keeps the ticks on the outside of your clothes.”

While dogs already have access to a Lyme vaccine, humans are still waiting. Until then, experts say a thorough shower and a “tick check” in the creases of your skin are your best tools for a safe spring.

Wright explains, “Ticks like areas that are secluded, maybe tight, so like between the legs around the groin, behind the knees, and the armpits, same with your pets, dogs.”

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