RFK Jr. pledged to fight Lyme disease. Does that include supporting a vaccine?
CNN • • health
Key Points:
- Lyme disease cases in the US are rising, with an estimated 476,000 people diagnosed annually, driven by climate change and suburbanization expanding tick habitats.
- The first Lyme vaccine, Lymerix, approved in 1998, was withdrawn in 2002 due to low demand and fears about side effects, despite no proven link to arthritis; a second vaccine never reached approval.
- Pfizer and Valneva are seeking approval for a new Lyme vaccine showing about 75% efficacy, but public acceptance may be challenging due to the four-dose regimen and past vaccine controversies.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted conspiracy theories about Lyme disease and expressed anti-vaccine views, could influence the vaccine's regulatory and public acceptance landscape.
- Alternative Lyme prevention strategies are in development, including a tick-killing pill and vaccines targeting mice reservoirs, reflecting the complexity of controlling tickborne diseases beyond vaccination alone.
