Lyme Vaccine Faces Uphill Battle with Rural Hunters

As a new Lyme disease vaccine moves closer to potential FDA approval, a survey of rural hunters — one of the groups most at risk for the tick-borne illness — reveals significant but nuanced hesitancy that could complicate public health efforts to achieve widespread vaccination coverage.

Interviews conducted by KFF Health News at the Busch Shooting Range in Weldon Spring, Missouri, found that among eight hunters surveyed, only one said they definitely would not take the vaccine. Six said they would consider it but wanted more information about safety and efficacy, while one was strongly positive.

The Growing Threat of Lyme Disease

The vaccine’s potential arrival comes at a critical moment. The CDC estimates that approximately 476,000 people in the United States are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year. The geographic range where cases have been reported has expanded significantly since 1995, with climate change pushing tick habitats into states that rarely saw them before — including Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.

This year is shaping up to be particularly severe. Experts have described 2026 as potentially the worst tick season in a decade, with ER visits for tick bites rising 25% in April compared to the previous year.

Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause fevers, chills, headaches, arthritis, shooting pains, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It is notoriously difficult to diagnose and is often misdiagnosed initially.

A Vaccine with History

Pfizer and Valneva announced in March that their vaccine candidate (PF-07307405) demonstrated approximately 73–75% efficacy in reducing confirmed Lyme disease cases in the Phase 3 VALOR trial. The companies plan to submit the vaccine for regulatory approval, though the trial technically missed one statistical bar because not enough participants contracted Lyme during the study period.

If approved, it would be the first Lyme vaccine available in the U.S. since LYMErix was pulled from the market in 2002 following lawsuits, public fear of side effects, and lack of demand. The new vaccine targets six strains of the Borrelia bacteria, compared to the single strain targeted by its predecessor.

Hunters: A Critical Test Case

Few groups spend more time in tick habitat than hunters. As conservationist and MeatEater host Steven Rinella, who contracted Lyme disease 13 years ago, told KFF Health News: “I’m a turkey hunter. In talking about turkey hunting, you talk about ticks as much as you talk about turkeys.”

Yet hunters also skew conservative, rural, and male — demographics that KFF polling data shows are associated with increased hesitancy about or resistance to vaccines, according to Ashley Kirzinger, associate director for Public Opinion and Survey Research at KFF.

The survey responses reflected this tension. Jess Manganelli, who may have previously contracted Lyme, said she would “absolutely” get the vaccine. Julian Barnes, who described himself as “vaccine-hesitant, generally speaking,” said he would consider it because he has seen Lyme’s effects on a relative. Jeremy Hollingshead said his former roommate’s lingering symptoms made him less inclined, believing his own odds of contracting Lyme were “pretty slim.” Only JP Cummings definitively declined, saying, “I kind of hand it off to God and the body he gave me.”

The RFK Jr. Wildcard

One of the most intriguing dynamics is the role of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former anti-vaccine activist who now oversees the agency that approves vaccines. Kennedy has pledged to combat Lyme disease and announced an initiative in May 2026 to address it.

Kirzinger noted that Kennedy’s supporters trust him as much as their own doctors for health information. “If he comes out as a strong proponent of this vaccine and says, ‘Look what my administration did, and we made this available,’ I would imagine there would be less vaccine resistance among that group,” she said.

The Road Ahead

Public health officials face a delicate balancing act. The findings suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. Even among a small group of hunters, attitudes ranged from enthusiastic acceptance to outright refusal, with most falling in a middle ground of “consider it but need more information.”

Key questions remain: Will the FDA approve the vaccine given the statistical hurdle in the trial? Will Kennedy actively endorse it? And how will the memory of LYMErix’s withdrawal affect public trust?

For now, the message from hunters themselves may offer the clearest path forward. As JP Cummings put it: “Hunters care about the wildlife; hunters care about health. They love the wildlife, they love their deer, and they love their fellow hunters.” Reaching that community will require transparent communication about safety and efficacy — and messengers they trust.