On May 29, 2026, the Trump Administration announced that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy unveiled new initiatives to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. The initiative was part of Kennedy’s Take Back Your Health tour, which included a stop in New Hampshire—a state severely impacted by Lyme disease.
HHS stated that Lyme disease affects an estimated 476,000 Americans annually, with emergency room visits for tick bites reaching their highest springtime level in nearly a decade. The agency described the new federal effort as one of the most comprehensive actions to address this growing health threat.
Key components include:
– A multi-million-dollar pilot program focused on tick control
– Up to $2.5 million in innovation challenges for Lyme disease research
– New studies into Alpha-gal syndrome, which affects nearly 500,000 Americans and causes allergic reactions to red meat and other mammalian products
– A patient-provider connection program to improve access to care
The tick-control pilot targets ticks on wildlife before they can spread disease to humans. Led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases and tribal organizations including the Wampanoag Tribe, the initiative aims to reduce Lyme disease transmission. HHS also set a goal of reducing Lyme disease cases by 25 percent by 2035 compared to levels in 2022. The agency noted that up to 20% of patients may develop chronic conditions after treatment, including persistent fatigue, pain, cognitive issues, and neurological complications.
Kennedy emphasized the need for faster diagnostics and prevention strategies, stating that millions of Americans have spent years navigating a medical system that often dismissed their symptoms.