RFK Jr.'s pledge to fight Lyme disease leaves vaccine support unclear

As HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to address Lyme disease, while Pfizer said it plans to seek US regulatory approval for a new Lyme vaccine after reporting trial results.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, has pledged to take on Lyme disease and convened a December roundtable with patients, clinicians and researchers. Lyme disease cases and the range of infected ticks have been increasing, prompting renewed attention to prevention and treatment. Last week Pfizer and partner Valneva reported trial results for a Lyme vaccine and said they plan to seek regulatory approval. Kennedy has not emphasized vaccination as the main solution and has previously expressed skepticism about vaccines while raising questions about the origins of Lyme disease. Key facts: - Kennedy pledged to prioritize Lyme disease issues as HHS secretary and held a December roundtable; HHS told CNN it supports rigorous, gold-standard science but did not clarify whether that extends to vaccine support. - Pfizer and Valneva reported clinical results showing about a 75% reduction in Lyme cases in their trial and announced plans to submit the vaccine to regulators; the trial met one statistical measure but missed another, according to reporting. - A prior Lyme vaccine, Lymerix, was approved in 1998 and later withdrawn in 2002 after low demand and subsequent lawsuits, even though an FDA advisory panel later found no association with arthritis in trial data. - The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act includes a directive for the Government Accountability Office to prepare a report on biological experiments involving ticks and tickborne diseases, a procedural step noted in coverage. Summary: Uptake and official support for a new Lyme vaccine remain uncertain even as a candidate moves toward regulatory submissions. Pfizer has signaled plans to seek approval after mixed-but-promising trial results, and a GAO report directed by the 2026 NDAA is a separate procedural development. How HHS under Secretary Kennedy will position itself on vaccine approvals and recommendations is undetermined at this time.