Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a new series of federal initiatives Monday aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome and other illnesses transmitted by ticks, appearing alongside actor and patient advocate Dennis Quaid.
Kennedy detailed the effort in a video posted on X, saying the department is seeking to shorten the often lengthy process patients face before receiving an accurate diagnosis while expanding access to effective treatment.
“Millions of Americans need faster diagnoses, better care, and real answers,” Kennedy wrote in the post.
Kennedy said large numbers of patients suffering from tick-borne illnesses are either incorrectly diagnosed or left without treatment. Noting that nearly half a million Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease annually, he said HHS is putting millions of dollars toward new technologies, including AI-powered tools designed to detect illnesses sooner, improve patient care and advance research.
“HHS has worked with the LymeX community to help bring two improved FDA-cleared Lyme diagnostics to market, giving clinicians better tools and helping more patients get an accurate diagnosis sooner,” Kennedy said.
Quaid joined Kennedy for the announcement and highlighted the experience of his late friend, singer and actor Kris Kristofferson, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease for years before doctors determined that he was suffering from Lyme disease.
“But Alzheimer’s wasn’t the problem,” Quaid said. “He actually had Lyme disease and when the doctors finally diagnosed him correctly in 2016 and started the right treatment, his symptoms did improve.”
Kennedy also called on patients who have recovered, as well as those who continue experiencing symptoms, to share information about their treatments through Cure ID, a free FDA and National Institutes of Health app that gathers real-world patient data. For people who do not have a trusted medical provider, Kennedy said an HHS clinician-locator service allows patients to search by ZIP code for doctors experienced in treating Lyme disease.
Monday’s announcement expands on a broader campaign Kennedy unveiled in May at the New Hampshire State House. At the time, he said more than 476,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year and announced several initiatives aimed at reducing the prevalence and impact of the illness.
Those measures included a multimillion-dollar Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pilot program focused on tick control, as much as $2.5 million for LymeX innovation challenges and a public-private partnership establishing a clinician locator. HHS has set a target of reducing Lyme disease cases by 25 percent by 2035 compared with 2022 levels.
Kennedy has incorporated the effort into his wider “Take Back Your Health” tour and the Make America Healthy Again agenda, which has included a series of policy changes involving food, nutrition and other public-health issues during the year.
Most Lyme infections detected early can be successfully treated with antibiotics. However, according to the Washington Examiner, an estimated 10 to 20 percent of patients who undergo treatment continue experiencing symptoms for years afterward.
