The FDA’s high vaccine regulator says he was pressured out by the Trump administration and criticizes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “misinformation and lies” about vaccines.
EMILY KWONG, HOST:
The Trump administration has pressured out the highest vaccine regulator on the Meals and Drug Administration. And on the best way out, Dr. Peter Marks delivered scathing criticism of Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. NPR well being correspondent Rob Stein joins us now with the small print. Hello, Rob.
ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Hey, Emily.
KWONG: All proper. Allow us to begin with who the FDA official is that we’re speaking about right here.
STEIN: Sure. As you mentioned, his title is Dr. Peter Marks, and he might not be a family title, however he is a giant deal within the medical world. He led the FDA’s highly effective Middle for Biologics Analysis and Analysis underneath each Presidents Trump and Biden, regulating the whole lot from cutting-edge gene therapies to vaccines. In actual fact, he performed an enormous function in President Trump’s Operation Warp Pace, which produced the COVID-19 vaccines. And as we all know, these vaccines are credited with saving many lives, however additionally they turned very polarizing.
And late Friday, Marks revealed that he had been pressured out of the FDA. NPR obtained a duplicate of his resignation letter, which, as you mentioned, contained scathing criticism of his new boss, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It is a rare rebuke.
KWONG: What did Marks say?
STEIN: Dr. Marks made it clear that whereas he tried to work with Kennedy, he simply could not do it due to the secretary’s views about vaccines. Let me learn slightly of what Dr. Marks says in his resignation letter. Quote, “it has change into clear that reality and transparency will not be desired by the secretary, however relatively, he needs subservient affirmation of his misinformation and lies.”
Specifically, Marks says he is apprehensive as a result of the nation is combating a giant outbreak of measles in Texas and elsewhere. Kennedy has been selling various remedies for measles, and Marks says Kennedy is undermining confidence in protected and efficient vaccines and is, quote, “irresponsible, detrimental to public well being and a transparent hazard to our nation’s well being, security and safety.”
KWONG: Rob, this is not the one transfer the brand new administration has taken about vaccines, proper?
STEIN: That is proper. Marks’ departure is simply the most recent high-ranking authorities scientist to be pressured out by the Trump administration, and this comes within the midst of a collection of steps Kennedy has taken that has set off alarm bells amongst public well being consultants. Kennedy has postponed or canceled essential conferences by unbiased vaccine advisers to the CDC and FDA. He is canceled NIH grants for vaccine analysis, and he simply tapped a well known antivaccine advocate to conduct yet one more research of vaccines and autism, despite the fact that that hyperlink has been debunked.
KWONG: Rob, what have been the reactions to Dr. Marks’ departure?
STEIN: You realize, I’ve to say it has been dismay that is been pouring in from medical consultants across the nation. I talked at present with Dr. Paul Offit. He is a vaccine skilled on the College of Pennsylvania who served for years as an FDA adviser and generally clashed with Marks. Let’s hearken to slightly little bit of what he needed to say.
PAUL OFFIT: I give Peter Marks credit score. I believe he was unwilling to bend a knee to RFK Jr’s misinformation marketing campaign. And now, I believe with Peter Marks gone, it is just like the fox guarding the henhouse. It is a unhappy day for America’s youngsters.
KWONG: What does the administration need to say?
STEIN: An HHS official launched an announcement that claims, if Marks, quote, “doesn’t wish to get behind restoring science to its golden customary and selling radical transparency, then he has no place at FDA underneath the robust management of Secretary Kennedy,” unquote.
KWONG: That’s NPR well being correspondent Rob Stein. Thanks, Rob.
STEIN: You guess, Emily.
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