FDA vaccine chief resigns, points to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as reason for decision

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) top vaccine official, Dr. Peter Marks, announced in a letter that he was officially stepping down from his position. "It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies. My hope is that during the coming years, the unprecedented assault on scientific truth that has adversely impacted public health in our nation comes to an end," Marks wrote in a resignation letter, referring to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., hinting at pressure from him to leave the agency as soon as possible.

Marks' letter, in which he detailed that his resignation would be made official on April 5, was addressed to FDA acting commissioner Sara Brenner. In response to his resignation and remarks toward Kennedy Jr, an HHS spokesman commented to The Wall Street Journal that what was stated in his letter was a clear sign that Marks no longer had a place at the agency. "If Peter Marks does not want to get behind restoring science to its golden standard and promoting radical transparency, then he has no place at FDA under the strong leadership of Secretary Kennedy," the official stated on condition of anonymity.

Marks' role during the COVID-19 pandemic

Marks was one of the agency's top officials during the first administration of President Donald Trump, under his Operation Warp Speed to develop COVID-19 vaccines as quickly as possible, at a time during the pandemic when there was no estimate of how long it would take to create and distribute the first vaccines to combat the disease. As revealed by the WSP, just hours before Marks released his resignation letter, an HHS official gave him the option of resigning or being fired.

Marks has been heading the division responsible for overseeing vaccines since he began working at the FDA in 2012. Although that division also oversees blood and biotech products, his primary role is to ensure that all vaccines that pass through his hands not only work but are also completely safe.