On May 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy unveiled new initiatives to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. The announcement occurred during Kennedy’s Take Back Your Health tour in New Hampshire, a state heavily affected by Lyme disease.

The initiative includes a multi-million-dollar pilot program for tick control, up to $2.5 million in innovation challenges for LymeX research, expanded Alpha-gal syndrome studies, and a patient-provider connection initiative. HHS reported that Lyme disease affects an estimated 476,000 Americans annually, with springtime tick-bite emergency room visits reaching their highest level in nearly a decade.

The program targets ticks on wildlife before they can transmit disease to humans. It will initially be led by researchers at the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases and build upon existing collaborations with tribal health services, including the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Wampanoag Tribe. HHS reaffirmed a goal of reducing Lyme disease cases by 25 percent by 2035 compared to 2022 levels.

The Department emphasized that Lyme disease often presents as an invisible illness with significant diagnostic challenges, leading to persistent symptoms for many patients even after treatment. Current diagnostic methods are not reliable across all stages of the infection. Kennedy described the effort as a critical federal response to address gaps in diagnosis and care for affected patients.