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Policy tracker

Federal Lyme Disease Policy Tracker

A dated, sourced record of what the U.S. federal government has announced and done on Lyme and tickborne disease, starting in 2025. Neutral by design.

By the Beat Lyme editorial teamChecked against primary government sourcesUpdated October 11, 2026Not medical advice
Part of How to beat LymeStep 7 of 7: Learn and connectSee all 7 steps →

Quick answer

Since January 2025, the main federal Lyme disease actions have been a December 2025 HHS roundtable and LymeX renewal, a May 29, 2026 HHS plan that aims to cut Lyme cases 25% by 2035 (compared with 2022), nearly $3 million for tick-control pilots in September 2026, and a law extending the Kay Hagan Tick Act through 2030.

What the official record shows

This page lists official federal actions on Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases, each with its date, the agency, the figures exactly as the agency stated them, and a link to the primary source. Announcements are not results: a plan or award tells you what the government intends to do, not what has been achieved.

What this tracker covers

We track actions by the U.S. federal government on Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases. We start with the current administration (President Trump’s second term, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, from January 2025). The page is built so earlier and future administrations can be added as their own sections.

An entry is added when there is an official action, such as:

  • Federal plans and strategies (HHS, CDC, NIH)
  • Funding awards, grants and prize competitions
  • President’s budget requests and enacted appropriations
  • Bills that become law
  • CDC programs and NIH research funding
  • Regulatory steps, such as FDA decisions, and closely related milestones like vaccine reviews
  • Advisory committees

Our neutrality statement. We report what was announced and what has happened since, with sources. We don’t endorse or oppose any administration. Corrections welcome: /contact/.

Background

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Lyme disease

Kennedy has spoken publicly about Lyme disease in his own family. At the HHS roundtable on December 15, 2025, USA TODAY reported that he said he had lived for 35 years in Bedford, New York, and that “Every member of my family has had Lyme disease.” A transcript of the roundtable published by LymeDisease.org records him saying, “I got Lyme disease in about 1986.” At the May 29, 2026 announcement, the Boston Globe quoted him: “One of my sons had his face paralyzed for a year.”

Federal efforts before 2025 (short)

  • 2016–2022: Tick-Borne Disease Working Group. Created by the 21st Century Cures Act (2016), chartered August 10, 2017, it sent reports to Congress in 2018, 2020 and 2022. Its authorization ended in December 2022 and it is no longer active (health.gov).
  • December 2019: Kay Hagan Tick Act. Passed as part of the FY 2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act. It required a national strategy on vector-borne diseases and authorized regional Centers of Excellence ($10 million a year) and support for health departments ($20 million a year) for FY 2021–2025 (health.gov, CDC).
  • 2020: LymeX. HHS and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation started the LymeX Innovation Accelerator (HHS).
  • 2024: National strategy. HHS and CDC published the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People (CDC).

Kennedy, the military-lab theory, and the book Bitten

Some people, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have suggested that Lyme disease came from, or was spread by, U.S. military biological weapons research during the Cold War. This section sets out what he has said, what the book at the center of the discussion argues, what Congress has done, and what published studies show about where the Lyme bacterium came from.

What Kennedy has said

  • January 2024, his podcast. In an episode with Bitten author Kris Newby, Kennedy said Lyme “is highly likely to have been a military weapon” (E&E News, December 16, 2025). On a January 2024 podcast he also said “the ticks are an epidemic because of what happened in Plum Island” (E&E News, December 11, 2024).
  • January 29, 2025, Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing. Sen. Michael Bennet asked whether he had called Lyme a “highly likely” militarily engineered bioweapon. Kennedy answered, “I probably did say that,” and added that this was what “the developer of Lyme Disease said” (RealClearPolitics video and transcript).
  • January 30, 2025, second confirmation hearing. Kennedy told senators he “never believed” that Lyme disease was created as a biological weapon (E&E News, January 30, 2025).
  • December 15, 2025, HHS Lyme roundtable. Rep. Chris Smith spoke about a new federal review of the question (see below). E&E News reported that Kennedy did not respond to Smith’s remarks, and the coverage we reviewed does not report Kennedy discussing Lyme’s origin at the event (E&E News, December 16, 2025).
  • August 2, 2026, CNN’s State of the Union. Speaking about gain-of-function research, Kennedy said, “The Lyme disease almost certainly came from this kind of research” (FactCheck.org, August 2026).

The book Bitten (2019)

Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons, by science writer Kris Newby, was published by Harper Wave on May 14, 2019. Newby, who has had Lyme disease, draws on interviews and on the files of Willy Burgdorfer, the scientist credited with discovering the Lyme bacterium, obtained from the National Archives and his family. According to the book, Burgdorfer, a tick researcher at the U.S. Public Health Service’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana, was asked during the Cold War to help mass-produce biting insects and infect them with germs for weapons research. The book asks whether that kind of work played a part in the Lyme outbreaks in New England. Kirkus Reviews said the book offers “intriguing hints” but that its central claim “remains unproven” (Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2019). In May 2024, Newby told PolitiFact she has “never said Lyme is a bioweapon,” while arguing that U.S. tick weapons work sped up its spread (PolitiFact, May 16, 2024).

Read our short, balanced description of the book in Books about Lyme disease.

What Congress has done

  • July 11, 2019: House orders an Inspector General review. The House adopted, by voice vote, an amendment from Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) to its FY 2020 defense bill. It told the Department of Defense Inspector General to review whether the department experimented with ticks and other insects as biological weapons between 1950 and 1975. If so, the Inspector General was to report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, including on whether any ticks or insects were released outside a laboratory (Roll Call, July 15, 2019). Smith has cited Bitten as an inspiration (Stars and Stripes, January 23, 2026).
  • What happened to that review. The provision did not become law. In a September 22, 2021 statement, Smith wrote that his earlier Inspector General and GAO amendments passed the House but “did not make it through the Senate” (Rep. Chris Smith). He offered a similar amendment in 2021, which also passed the House but failed in the Senate (Stars and Stripes). Because the 2019 order was never enacted, the Inspector General was not required to do the review, and we did not find any Inspector General report or findings on this question.
  • December 18, 2025: GAO review becomes law. Underway Section 1068 of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 119-60) directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review, “to the extent practicable,” Defense Department research from January 1, 1945, to December 31, 1972, including work with NIH, the Department of Agriculture or other agencies, on using ticks as hosts or delivery mechanisms for biological warfare agents. GAO must report to the Armed Services Committees within two years of enactment. The report must list the projects reviewed and their scope, and give findings on whether any ticks were released outside a facility (including by accident) and whether any related records were destroyed (Public Law 119-60, Sec. 1068).
  • June 5, 2026: progress meeting. After meeting with GAO, Smith said the agency is “in the process of” carrying out the review. As of October 11, 2026, we have not found any GAO findings (Rep. Chris Smith, June 5, 2026).

What the scientific evidence says about where the Lyme bacterium came from

What published studies show
  • Ticks from the 1940s. Researchers tested 136 museum tick specimens. DNA matching the Lyme bacterium was found in 13 deer ticks collected in the 1940s at Montauk Point and Hither Hills on Long Island, New York. The authors concluded the bacterium was in ticks at least a generation before Lyme disease was recognized (Persing et al., Science, 1990).
  • Mice from 1894. Of 280 museum specimens of white-footed mice collected from 1870 to 1919, two collected near Dennis, Massachusetts, in 1894 tested positive. The authors said this is evidence against the idea that the bacterium was recently brought to North America (Marshall et al., Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1994).
  • A 5,300-year-old man. Genetic data from the Tyrolean Iceman, found in the Alps, contained DNA from Borrelia burgdorferi. The authors called it the earliest documented human case of infection with the Lyme bacterium (Keller et al., Nature Communications, 2012).
  • Tens of thousands of years in North America. A study of 146 bacterial genomes from ticks across the U.S. and southern Canada found the bacterium’s genetic diversity is ancient, older than the last Ice Age peak about 20,000 years ago (Walter et al., Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2017). Yale, which led the study, estimated it has been in North America for at least 60,000 years (Yale School of Public Health, August 28, 2017).

Why cases rose. The 2017 study’s authors concluded that the recent rise in human Lyme disease probably reflects ecological change, not a change in the bacterium. Yale’s summary points to deforestation followed by suburban growth, forest fragmentation, a boom in deer over the last century, and warmer winters that speed up the tick life cycle.

What this does and does not settle. These studies show the Lyme bacterium is ancient and was in North American ticks and mice long before the Cold War. Researchers cited by E&E News say the lab-origin claim has been debunked, and a University of Washington microbiologist told FactCheck.org this history makes it “quite clear that it did not arise from a lab”. The studies do not test a separate question raised by Bitten and by Congress: whether Cold War programs experimented with ticks, and whether any ticks were ever released, by accident or on purpose. That is the question GAO has been asked to examine.

Bottom line
  • Documented: The Lyme bacterium was in Long Island ticks by the 1940s and Massachusetts mice by 1894, and has been in North America for tens of thousands of years. Congress has ordered a GAO review of Defense Department tick research from 1945 to 1972, with a report due by December 18, 2027.
  • Claimed: Kennedy has said Lyme was “highly likely” a military weapon (2024) and “almost certainly” came from this kind of research (2026); in January 2025 he also told senators he never believed it was created as a bioweapon. Bitten argues that Cold War tick research may have shaped the Lyme epidemic.
  • Not supported by the evidence: The idea that the Lyme bacterium itself was made in a lab conflicts with the museum, Iceman and genome studies above.
  • Still unanswered: The scope of any Cold War tick experiments, and whether any ticks were released outside a facility, have not been officially determined. The 2019 Inspector General review was never enacted, and the GAO review is underway.

Timeline: 2025–2026

Second Trump administration HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. · from January 2025

Status key: Announced Underway Completed Proposed Unclear

  1. White House / HHS (CDC, NIH)Proposed

    President’s FY 2026 budget request

    The administration released the full details of its FY 2026 budget request. For CDC, the request listed $87.817 million for the Vector-borne Diseases line, compared with $90.603 million in FY 2024 (CDC’s table did not show FY 2025 amounts separately). It proposed $0 for CDC’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome line. For NIH’s infectious disease institute (NIAID), which funds most federal Lyme research, it requested about $4.17 billion. NIAID’s budget document includes a section on tick-transmitted illnesses, including Lyme vaccine research and alpha-gal syndrome. Congress later set different amounts (see February 3, 2026).

    Figures as stated: CDC Vector-borne Diseases: $87.817 million requested (FY 2024: $90.603 million). NIAID: $4,174,965,000 requested, a decrease of $2,386.7 million (36.4%) from the FY 2025 level of $6,561,652,000. HHS total: $94.7 billion in discretionary budget authority.
    Reactions (attributed): HHS described the budget as advancing its “Make America Healthy Again” agenda (HHS Budget in Brief). The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) urged Congress to reject the proposed cuts; its statement addressed the budget as a whole and did not single out Lyme programs.

    Source: CDC FY 2026 Congressional Justification; NIAID FY 2026 Congressional Justification; KFF (release date)

  2. HHS, CMSUnderway

    Lyme roundtable; LymeX renewed; Medicare care-management guidance

    Secretary Kennedy hosted a roundtable with Lyme patients and providers. HHS said it renewed the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, its partnership with the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation that began in 2020, including work on AI tools for earlier and more accurate detection. HHS also said the LymeX Diagnostics Prize was in its fourth phase. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance saying it supports beneficiaries with Lyme disease and related conditions through its Chronic Care Management program.

    Figures as stated: $10 million for the renewed LymeX initiative; LymeX Diagnostics Prize: “over $10 million in cash prizes” (underwritten by the Cohen Foundation).

    Source: HHS press release, December 15, 2025

  3. Congress / PresidentCompleted

    FY 2026 funding enacted for CDC Lyme and vector-borne programs

    The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 was signed into law. CDC’s FY 2026 operating plan shows the final amounts for its tickborne and vector-borne lines. The Lyme line stayed level with FY 2025, and the broader Vector-borne Diseases line rose by $1 million.

    Figures as stated: Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses: $27.000 million (FY 2025: $27.000 million). Vector-borne Diseases: $64.603 million (FY 2025: $63.603 million). Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: $5.400 million (unchanged). The Lyme and Vector-borne lines together total $91.603 million, the figure later budget requests compare against.

    Source: CDC FY 2026 Operating Plan; KFF (signing date)

  4. White House / CDCProposed

    President’s FY 2027 budget request

    The FY 2027 request lists one Vector-borne Diseases line that, according to CDC’s footnote, includes funding for Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases. It again proposes $0 for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Congress sets the final amounts.

    Figures as stated: Vector-borne Diseases (including Lyme): $87.817 million requested, compared with $91.603 million enacted for FY 2026. HHS total: $111.1 billion discretionary, which ASTHO reported as a 12.5% decrease from the 2026 enacted level.

    Source: CDC FY 2027 Congressional Justification; ASTHO summary (release date)

  5. HHS (CDC, NIH, FDA, IHS)Underway

    HHS Lyme disease plan announced in Concord, New Hampshire

    HHS released a plan for Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses. Its stated goal is to reduce Lyme disease cases by 25% by 2035, compared with 2022 levels. The plan includes:

    • A CDC-led tick-control pilot aimed at ticks on wildlife, starting with the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases.
    • An NIH effort to find private-sector products that might prevent alpha-gal syndrome after a tick bite, with more details promised “in the coming months.”
    • Three new LymeX challenges: the Visible Voices Prize, the Healthathon Innovation Sprint, and the TOPx HHS Tech Sprint for AI and Invisible Illness.
    • A clinician locator on hhs.gov/lyme run with the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) (see next entry).
    • Kennedy’s support for reauthorizing the Kay Hagan Tick Act.

    HHS also said FDA had cleared two improved Lyme tests that reached the market. Local station WCAX reported that Kennedy announced the plan in Concord as part of his “Take Back Your Health” tour, joined by Lyme patient advocate Sophia Sargent, after a closed-door roundtable with lawmakers.

    Figures as stated: Tick-control pilot: “multi-million-dollar” (no amount given). New challenges: up to $2.5 million total (Visible Voices up to $250,000; Healthathon up to $250,000; TOPx up to $2 million, including a $1 million grand prize). LymeX Diagnostics Prize: $10 million. Current NIH spending: “nearly $50 million annually” on Lyme research and “approximately $122 million annually” on tickborne disease research.

    Source: HHS press release, May 29, 2026; WCAX, May 29, 2026

  6. HHS / ILADSUnderway

    HHS–ILADS agreement and Lyme Clinician Locator

    HHS and ILADS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). ILADS says it aims to improve patient access to care through clinician locator tools and information-sharing, with each group keeping its independent role. The hhs.gov/lyme page links to the ILADS provider search and to CURE ID, a site where people can report treatments that have or have not helped them. ILADS and IDSA publish different Lyme treatment guidelines; see how the two guidelines differ.

    Reactions (attributed): ILADS Executive Director Sarah Quillen: “This collaboration creates an opportunity to better support those patients” (ILADS, June 1, 2026). Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), announcing the locator on August 17, 2026: “I am grateful to Secretary Kennedy and President Trump for their efforts.” We did not find a published statement on the agreement from IDSA or another named medical society.

    Source: ILADS announcement; HHS Lyme page; Rep. Chris Smith, August 17, 2026

  7. HHS (LymeX), NIHUnderway

    TOPx HHS Tech Sprint for AI and Invisible Illness

    This prize competition asks teams to use open federal data and AI to help detect, diagnose and manage “invisible” illnesses such as Lyme disease and long COVID. Phase 1 submissions ran May 29 to July 15, 2026. Phase 2 runs July 29 to October 15, 2026, with final demos due October 22 and winners expected in late 2026.

    Figures as stated: NIH’s challenge page lists up to $3,800,000 in total prizes (up to $3,725,000 from HHS and up to $75,000 from NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health), including two $1,000,000 grand prizes. The May 29 HHS release and hhs.gov/lyme describe up to $2 million.

    Source: NIH challenge page

  8. HHS (CDC, NIH)Announced

    Tick-control pilot funding to two CDC Centers of Excellence

    CDC and NIH awarded funding to the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases and the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease. The pilots will test deer feed treated with a tick-killing product (acaricide), aimed at blacklegged and lone star ticks, and “super baits” for rodents that deliver acaricide, antibiotics or both. The release does not give a project timeline. Read our news summary: HHS funds pilot projects to kill ticks on deer and mice.

    Figures as stated: “Nearly $3 million.”

    Source: HHS press release, September 28, 2026

  9. Congress / PresidentCompleted

    Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act signed (Public Law 119-118)

    S. 2398, introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) with Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), passed the Senate on August 6, 2026 and the House on September 15, 2026, and was signed on September 30. It extends the authorization for CDC’s Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases and for CDC support to state and local health departments from fiscal years 2021–2025 to 2026–2030. It also removes the law’s reference to the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, which is no longer active. Authorizing laws set spending limits; actual funding is decided each year in appropriations.

    Figures as stated: The law changes only the years, not the dollar amounts, which the original 2019 act set at $10 million a year for the Centers of Excellence and $20 million a year for health department support. Rep. Chris Smith’s office described this as $150 million over five years ($50 million for the Centers and $100 million for state and local cooperative agreements).
    Reactions (attributed): Center for Lyme Action Executive Director Meghan Bradshaw: “Today we celebrate, but tomorrow we get back to work” (October 2, 2026). Sen. Collins said “we must continue working to address the growing threat posed by tick-borne diseases.” We found no named organization opposing the bill; LymeDisease.org reported it passed both chambers unanimously.

    Source: Public Law 119-118 (GovInfo); White House, September 30, 2026; Sen. Collins; Rep. Chris Smith, September 16, 2026

These are not federal actions, but they shape U.S. options. No Lyme vaccine for people is available in the U.S.

DateWhat happenedStatus
August 14, 2026The European Medicines Agency validated Pfizer and Valneva’s application for their Lyme vaccine candidate (PF-07307405, also called LB6V or VLA15) and began its review. Valneva says decisions are expected within the next twelve months.Underway
As of October 11, 2026Neither company release we reviewed announced a U.S. FDA application. Valneva lists FDA Fast Track designation (July 2017).Unclear

More: Lyme disease vaccine and our news summary of the EMA review.

What to watch next

  • October 15 and 22, 2026: TOPx Tech Sprint Phase 2 closes; final demos are due. Winners are expected in late 2026 (NIH).
  • “Coming months” (stated May 29, 2026): HHS said it would release more details on the NIH alpha-gal syndrome initiative.
  • FY 2027 funding: The President requested $87.817 million for CDC’s Vector-borne Diseases line (including Lyme). Final amounts are set by Congress (CDC FY 2027 budget).
  • Tick-control pilots (announced September 28, 2026): no timeline was published; we will add results when HHS or CDC reports them.
  • By 2035: the HHS plan’s target of 25% fewer Lyme cases than in 2022.
  • Through FY 2030: the reauthorized Kay Hagan Tick Act programs.
  • Within twelve months of validation (per Valneva): an EMA decision on the Lyme vaccine candidate.
  • By December 18, 2027: GAO’s report to Congress on Cold War Defense Department tick research (Section 1068, Public Law 119-60).

How to read this tracker

  • Announcements are not results. “Announced” means an agency said it will do something. “Underway” means work has visibly started. “Completed” means the action is final, such as a signed law. “Proposed” means a request that still needs approval, usually by Congress. “Unclear” means we could not confirm the current status.
  • Budget requests are not budgets. The President proposes; Congress decides through appropriations. Authorizing laws set limits; appropriations provide the money.
  • Figures are quoted as stated. When two official sources give different figures, we show both.
  • We update entries as status changes, and add new entries with their own dates.
  • Last reviewed: October 11, 2026.

For research news, see Lyme disease research and our Lyme disease news page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the HHS Lyme disease plan?

It is a set of actions HHS announced on May 29, 2026. Its stated goal is to reduce Lyme disease cases by 25% by 2035, compared with 2022 levels. It includes a CDC tick-control pilot aimed at ticks on wildlife, an NIH alpha-gal syndrome effort, new LymeX prize challenges worth up to $2.5 million, the $10 million LymeX Diagnostics Prize, and a clinician locator run with ILADS (HHS).

Did RFK Jr. have Lyme disease?

He has said so. A LymeDisease.org transcript of the December 15, 2025 HHS roundtable records him saying, “I got Lyme disease in about 1986.” At the same event, USA TODAY reported him saying, “Every member of my family has had Lyme disease.”

How much does the federal government spend on Lyme disease?

For FY 2026, CDC’s operating plan shows $27.0 million for Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses and $64.6 million for other vector-borne disease work. HHS said in May 2026 that NIH spends nearly $50 million a year on Lyme research and about $122 million a year on tickborne disease research.

What is the Kay Hagan Tick Act?

A 2019 law that required a national strategy on vector-borne diseases and authorized CDC’s regional Centers of Excellence and support for health departments. A reauthorization signed on September 30, 2026 (Public Law 119-118) extends those programs through fiscal year 2030.

Is there an approved Lyme vaccine in the U.S.?

No. In August 2026 the European Medicines Agency began reviewing a candidate from Pfizer and Valneva. As of October 11, 2026, we had not found an announcement of a U.S. FDA application. See Lyme disease vaccine.

Did Lyme disease come from a military lab?

Published studies show the bacterium that causes Lyme disease is far older than any lab. Its DNA has been found in Long Island ticks from the 1940s, Massachusetts mice from 1894 and a 5,300-year-old man, and genome studies date it in North America to tens of thousands of years ago. A University of Washington microbiologist quoted by FactCheck.org said this history makes it “quite clear that it did not arise from a lab.” A separate question, whether Cold War programs experimented with ticks or released any, is now under a GAO review due by December 18, 2027. See Kennedy, the military-lab theory, and the book Bitten.

Did Congress investigate whether ticks were weaponized?

In 2019 the House passed Rep. Chris Smith’s amendment asking the Defense Department Inspector General to review tick experiments from 1950 to 1975, but it did not become law, and we found no Inspector General findings. In December 2025, Section 1068 of the FY 2026 defense law (Public Law 119-60) ordered GAO to review Defense Department tick research from 1945 to 1972 and report within two years.

Sources

  1. HHS: HHS Unveils Sweeping Plan to Combat Lyme Disease (May 29, 2026)
  2. WCAX: RFK Jr. visits New Hampshire to announce effort on Lyme disease (May 29, 2026)
  3. HHS: Secretary Kennedy convenes Lyme patients and providers (December 15, 2025)
  4. HHS: Tick-control research funding (September 28, 2026)
  5. GovInfo: Public Law 119-118, Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act
  6. White House: S. 2398 signed into law (September 30, 2026)
  7. S. 2398 engrossed text, passed Senate August 6, 2026
  8. Sen. Susan Collins: Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act signed (September 30, 2026)
  9. Rep. Chris Smith: Reauthorization passes House (September 16, 2026)
  10. Rep. Chris Smith: HHS launches Lyme Clinician Locator (August 17, 2026)
  11. LymeDisease.org / Center for Lyme Action: Tick Act signed into law (October 2, 2026)
  12. CDC: FY 2026 Congressional Justification
  13. CDC: FY 2026 Operating Plan
  14. CDC: FY 2027 Congressional Justification
  15. NIAID: FY 2026 Congressional Justification
  16. HHS: FY 2026 Budget in Brief
  17. KFF: Additional details of FY 2026 budget request (May 30, 2025)
  18. KFF: FY 2026 Labor-HHS funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act
  19. ASTHO: President releases FY27 budget proposal (April 2026)
  20. IDSA: Steep cuts in president’s FY 2026 budget (2025)
  21. ILADS: HHS and ILADS announce strategic partnership (June 1, 2026)
  22. HHS: Lyme Disease – Invisible Illness
  23. NIH: TOPx HHS Tech Sprint for AI and Invisible Illness
  24. USA TODAY via AOL: Kennedy promises renewed focus on Lyme (December 15, 2025)
  25. LymeDisease.org: Summary and transcript of HHS Lyme roundtable (December 16, 2025)
  26. Boston Globe: RFK Jr. unveils plan to combat Lyme disease (May 29, 2026)
  27. health.gov: Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
  28. health.gov: The Kay Hagan Tick Act
  29. CDC: National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases
  30. Pfizer and Valneva: EMA validates marketing application (August 14, 2026)
  31. Valneva: Lyme disease vaccine candidate LB6V (VLA15)
  32. GovInfo: Public Law 119-60, FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, Sec. 1068 (December 18, 2025)
  33. Roll Call: House orders Pentagon to say if it weaponized ticks and released them (July 15, 2019)
  34. Rep. Chris Smith: Americans deserve the truth: did DOD weaponize ticks with Lyme disease? (September 22, 2021)
  35. Rep. Chris Smith: Meeting with GAO on progress of tick report (June 5, 2026)
  36. Stars and Stripes: Congress calls on GAO to look for origin of Lyme disease in Cold War military programs (January 23, 2026)
  37. E&E News: Defense bill directs GAO to probe tick conspiracy promoted by RFK Jr. (December 16, 2025)
  38. E&E News: ‘Bioweapons’ and cover-ups: The untruths behind RFK Jr.’s disease claims (December 11, 2024)
  39. E&E News: RFK Jr. offers conflicting views on Lyme disease (January 30, 2025)
  40. RealClearPolitics: Kennedy and Sen. Bennet on Lyme disease, Senate Finance Committee hearing (January 29, 2025)
  41. FactCheck.org: RFK Jr.’s Falsehood-Filled CNN Interview (August 2026)
  42. Kirkus Reviews: Bitten by Kris Newby (April 15, 2019)
  43. PolitiFact: Was Lyme disease spread as a bioweapon? (May 16, 2024)
  44. Persing DH et al. Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in museum specimens of Ixodes dammini ticks. Science. 1990;249:1420-3
  45. Marshall WF et al. Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in museum specimens of Peromyscus leucopus. J Infect Dis. 1994;170:1027-32
  46. Keller A et al. New insights into the Tyrolean Iceman’s origin and phenotype. Nature Communications. 2012;3:698
  47. Walter KS et al. Genomic insights into the ancient spread of Lyme disease across North America. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2017;1:1569-76
  48. Yale School of Public Health: Ancient history of Lyme disease in North America revealed with bacterial genomes (August 28, 2017)