Commitments and Contingencies (Details)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Indemnification claims	$ 0

Amount of indemnification claims currently outstanding

No definition available.

Name:	vrtx_IndemnificationClaims
Namespace Prefix:	vrtx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant