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FDA’s Vaccine Chief Resigns, Blasts Kennedy’s ‘Misinformation’
Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration’s leading vaccine regulator, resigned Friday, issuing a scathing rebuke of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. In his resignation letter, Marks accused Kennedy of prioritizing “misinformation and lies” over “truth and transparency.”
Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, played a key role in Operation Warp Speed’s rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines. His departure raises serious concerns among public health experts, who are increasingly alarmed by Kennedy’s stance on vaccines. Kennedy has publicly questioned vaccine safety and effectiveness, and under his leadership, independent federal vaccine advisory committees have been disrupted, vaccine research at the National Institutes of Health has been halted, and a known vaccine critic has been appointed to lead a controversial study on vaccines and autism, a link widely discredited by the scientific community.
Marks specifically cited the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, which has climbed to at least 400 cases, as a particular concern. He criticized Kennedy’s promotion of alternative treatments during the outbreak and emphasized the safety and effectiveness of measles vaccines. In his letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner, Marks called undermining confidence in established vaccines “irresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation’s health, safety, and security.”
An HHS official responded to Marks’ resignation by stating that if Marks was unwilling to support Kennedy’s vision of restoring scientific standards and promoting transparency, he had no place at the FDA.
Marks’ resignation has drawn sharp criticism from the medical community. Dr.
Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the University of Pennsylvania and a long-time FDA advisor, called the situation “a sad day for America’s children” and described Kennedy as “the wolf guarding the hen house.” Other experts, including former FDA Commissioner Dr.
Mark McClellan and former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, praised Marks’ dedication and leadership.
Marks expressed his sadness at leaving the agency and commended the dedication of his staff. He expressed hope that the “unprecedented assault on scientific truth” would end, allowing the public to fully benefit from medical advancements.