Actor Dennis Quaid joins Secretary Kennedy to discuss treatments for Lyme disease
byCHARLOTTE HAZARD | The National News Desk
Mon, August 17, 2026 at 9:18 AM
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CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 20: Dennis Quaid attends the “The Substance” Photocall at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (TNND) —Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and actor Dennis Quaid teamed up Monday to make an announcement about furthering research about Lyme disease
“At HHS, we are taking bold new actions against Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome, and other tick-borne diseases—accelerating research, improving care, and driving new treatments,” Kennedy wrote on the social media platform, X. “Millions of Americans need faster diagnoses, better care, and real answers.”
In a video attached to the post, Quaid said that his friend, the late Kris Kristofferson spent years living with Alzheimer’s
“But Alzheimer’s wasn’t the problem,” Quaid said. “He actually had Lyme disease and when the doctors finally diagnosed him correctly in 2016 and started the right treatment, his symptoms did improve.”
Kennedy said that HHS is investing millions of dollars in innovation to develop AI-powered tools to help improve patient care
“HHS has worked with the LymeX community to help bring two improved FDA-cleared Lyme diagnostics to market, giving clinicians better tools and helping more patients get an accurate diagnosis sooner,” he said
Quaid said that with the work of HHS, science will improve and finding a cure will be made easier
“Together, we can advance science, improve care and give more patients the answers they deserve,” he said
