WTAS: Secretary Kennedy Convenes Lyme Disease Patients and Providers to Announce New Diagnostic Efforts

On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convened Lyme disease patients, clinicians, and researchers for a roundtable on diagnostics and clinical needs moderated by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The event fulfills commitments made in the Make America Healthy Again Commission Strategy Report to address chronic and often unseen illnesses that affect millions of Americans.

Headlines
Government Officials
Advocates & Organizations
Influencers

Headlines:

• USA Today: 'Gaslighting of Lyme patients is over': RFK Jr. promises renewed focus
• CT Insider: Stamford foundation at forefront as RFK Jr. promises new funding, approach to Lyme disease
• LymeDisease.org: Does HHS Lyme roundtable signal a new era for patients?
• NewsDay: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vows to give patients, physicians more say in Lyme disease fight
• NTD: RFK Jr. Announces New Diagnostic Efforts on Lyme Disease (video)

Government Officials:

• Rep. Morgan Griffith: “Today’s roundtable shows we have solid commitment from Secretary Kennedy, Dr. Oz and lawmakers to address Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses in the United States. As someone who has Alpha-Gal Syndrome, I have some understanding of the health challenges that result from tickborne illnesses. In Southwest Virginia, we likely know somebody with a tickborne illness.”

Advocates & Organizations:

• Dr. Andrew Handel via NewsDay, pediatric infectious disease expert at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital: “Lyme disease is a major problem on Long Island and the problem is only getting worse each year…We are happy to receive that attention and focus whenever possible because we want to increase awareness, not just treatment and diagnosis, but prevention... We know that antibiotics work very well but for reasons that we still don't understand, there's a subset of patients who have persistent symptoms after the infection is resolved and the bacteria is gone…It needs to be a larger focus for the research community and that’s something we would definitely pursue if funding becomes available.”
• @HighWireTalk: “HHS has launched a new resource for Lyme Disease in an effort to help patients with the illness. Read this thread for information about the HHS initiative …”
• @MAHA_Action: “RFK Jr. says the gaslighting and ignoring of patients with Lyme disease is over.”
• @MAHA_Action:  RFK Jr. says Lyme disease has made the woods dangerous for everyone. “I spend a lot of my life in the woods, and that experience has now become hazardous across this country” “I remember one day in 1987 when I stood in my bathtub and picked 29 ticks off myself.” “That was typical in Bedford.” “The MAHA movement is trying to get children to be active, to get them to go outside, to get them to experience nature, not only because that's gonna benefit them physically, but also the spiritual connection that we get to God.” “We’ve got to figure out a way to make it safe for children to go back in the woods again.”
• LivLyme Foundation (@liv_lyme): “Today is the day. We’re on our way to US Department of Health and Human Service’s HQ in Washington, D.C. for the historic Lyme Disease Roundtable with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Olivia will be there as a patient representative, carrying the voices of so many who have been dismissed, misdiagnosed, and left waiting far too long. This moment is bigger than one family. It’s for every patient fighting to be seen, every parent advocating for their child, and every person who’s been told “it’s all in your head.” Hope is rising. Live today at 2:00 PM EST on the HHS YouTube page. Lyme community—drop a or share one thing you want leaders to hear today.”
• Center for Lyme Action (@lyme_action):  “NEW A new #lyme disease page was launched today at HHS. https://hhs.gov/lyme/index.html Thank you to all #Lyme advocates for making your voices heard and advancing the cause with our federal government! @BayAreaLyme @Lymenews @ProjectLyme @LymeBiobank @coloradoticks @TexasLyme”
• LymeDisease.org (@Lymenews): “The @HHSGov acknowledge that there is a great deal of new information. Today they launched a new webpage where this information will be available. LINK HERE: https://hhs.gov/lyme/index.html”
• Bay Area Lyme Foundation (@BayAreaLyme): Today’s @HHSGov roundtable marked a monumental day for millions suffering from chronic Lyme! As per @SecKennedy @NIHDirector_Jay @DrOz: NO MORE GASLIGHTING! Chronic Lyme is not a psychological condition! It’s a dangerous infection that demands funding, accurate tests, cures!

Influencers:

• Dr. Robert Malone (@RWMaloneMD): “Secretary Kennedy- every member of my family (including the Secretary) has had Lyme disease. For years HHS denied that Lyme disease existed. Frequently Lyme disease patients were told they had psychosomatic problems and need to see a psychiatrist.”
• Dr. Robert Malone (@RWMaloneMD): “The gaslighting of Lyme disease patients is over” Secretary Kennedy at the Lyme Disease Roundtable”
• Dr. Robert Malone (@RWMaloneMD): “The NIH is committed to the Lyme programs discussed here today including a new program focusing on pediatric Lyme”
• Dr. Ben Braddock (@GraduatedBen): Really great to see Lyme’s disease being made a priority by this administration.
• @DanaParish: “🚨 Blew me away that both @SecKennedy & @DrOz shared personal stories of their loved ones suffering from chronic Lyme today at the @HHSGov Lyme roundtable. The breadth of this disease is unquantifiable, yet patients —even @SecKennedy’s own son—are gaslighted, told it’s all in our heads, is a “fake” disease. It’s MADNESS that one of the most common infectious diseases on earth is completely misrepresented & denied, in spite of mountains of data demonstrating its virulence, ability to infect every system & organ in the body, & wreck millions of healthy lives…It feels like a new day and I am  hopeful for a better future for the chronic illness community. Thank you to all who participated in this historic event. Special thanks to my friend @khoney for championing this cause within @HHSGov. We 🩷 you!”
• @DanaParish: “OMG. RFK: Today “marks the day” that chronic Lyme stops being denied & dismissed by @HHSGov and all public health agencies!!!”
• @DanaParish: “Remarkable day so far at @HHSGov Lyme roundtable. @DrOz: I can’t count the number of friends and family I have with chronic Lyme. They are not crazy. Chronic Lyme treatment will now be covered by Medicare! @SecKennedy said no more “gaslighting” of chronic #Lyme patients—no more sending to psychiatry when they need MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC LYME.”
• @MarioNawfal: “SEC. RFK JR WARNS LYME HAS TURNED AMERICA’S WOODS INTO A RISK ZONE RFK Jr is putting a very real fear into plain language. Lyme disease, he says, has quietly made the outdoors hazardous across much of the country, changing how Americans experience nature itself.”
• @krisnewby: “The roundtable is the first sign that HHS recognizes the Lyme problem and is taking a multifaceted approach to dealing with it.”