An Unreleased Lyme Disease Vaccine Is Already Sparking False Conspiracy Theories
Unverified claims about mysterious boxes of ticks being distributed to artificially increase Lyme disease cases have spread online, coinciding with the anticipated 2027 release of a new Lyme vaccine from Pfizer and Valneva. These conspiracy theories, promoted by influencers and social media users, suggest government or corporate involvement in spreading ticks to drive vaccine uptake. Despite a lack of evidence, the rumors have gained traction alongside growing public concern over tick-borne illnesses and vaccine development.
- ▪The MAHA Mom Coalition sought to contact farmers who allegedly found boxes of ticks in their fields, though no verified reports of such boxes exist.
- ▪Sarah Outlaw, an Iowa woman, popularized the tick conspiracy theory through a widely viewed Instagram video, claiming tick populations are being manipulated.
- ▪Pfizer and Valneva are developing a Lyme disease vaccine that showed 70% efficacy in trials and is aiming for a 2027 release despite not meeting all trial endpoints.
- ▪Fact-checking site Snopes found no evidence to support claims of distributed tick boxes after contacting numerous Missouri officials.
- ▪David Avocado Wolfe, a conspiracy influencer, amplified the rumors by resharing videos suggesting Pfizer is involved in a plot to manipulate tick populations.
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freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "motherjones_right_rail_1", slotId: "ROS_ATF_300x600" }); Mother Jones illustration; Getty Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. In April, the MAHA Mom Coalition, an organization that claims it advocates for “parental rights, holistic health, clean food & water, and medical freedom,” put out an unusual call. They wanted to talk to the farmers who’d been finding mysterious boxes of ticks in their fields—farmers and boxes that, by every available indication, don’t seem to exist. “Can anybody reading this right now validate this?” the MAHA Mom Coalition wrote on their Instagram page.
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