HHS Launches $2.5 Million Lyme Program to Cut Cases 25% by 2035
Updated
Updated · Conway Daily Sun · Jun 11
HHS Launches $2.5 Million Lyme Program to Cut Cases 25% by 2035
2 articles · Updated · Conway Daily Sun · Jun 11
Summary
$2.5 million in new HHS funding will back a CDC-linked Lyme disease program aimed at cutting U.S. prevalence 25% by 2035.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the effort will develop and deploy ways to eliminate ticks on wildlife before they breed on deer, alongside work on treatment, diagnostics and prevention.
The prevention strategy drew criticism because deer are not the main Lyme reservoir; infected ticks more often acquire the bacteria from rodents and other small mammals.
The push targets a disease burden estimated at 476,000 U.S. diagnoses a year as tick bites rise and federal officials expand awareness, research and treatment efforts.
As climate change pushes ticks into new regions, is this new federal plan enough to stop the silent Lyme pandemic?
After a past vaccine was withdrawn due to public backlash, can new Lyme preventatives succeed in today's climate?
Federal Initiative Targets 25% Reduction in Lyme Disease by 2035: New Strategies, Research, and Vaccine Efforts Unveiled
Overview
In late May 2026, the Trump Administration, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., launched a major federal initiative to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. This effort aims to accelerate research, expand innovation in diagnostics and treatments, and improve care for millions of Americans affected by these conditions. The strategy focuses on tackling Lyme disease at its source, including developing faster diagnostic tools and new prevention methods. By addressing long-standing challenges in patient support and medical innovation, the initiative marks one of the most ambitious federal responses to the growing threat of tick-borne diseases.