Dept. of Public Health disagrees with Lyme Disease report

BOSTON (WWLP) - A report by the Massachusetts Lyme Disease Commission is expected to be released next month, but the Massachusetts Department of Public Health isn’t expected to sign-off on some of their recommendations.

The DPH disagrees with some budgetary and policy recommendations of the draft report.  The state's Interim Health Commissioner, Lauren Smith, says there are a number of claims in the report that the department cannot endorse, such as a request for more state funding for Lyme disease research; something she says the state cannot afford. 

Smith also disagrees with diagnosis and treatment claims that she says are broadly disputed across the medical community and "lack scientific basis." The report has consequently been delayed for months. 

“There's a lot involved here, and this is the first time that we've pulled all these different types of people together in one room and tried to figure out what we can do to solve this crisis,” said Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick).

The Lyme Disease Commission plans to release their report next month, despite objections by the Department of Public Health.