A senior official overseeing vaccines at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has resigned under pressure, according to reports from US media.

Peter Marks, who has been instrumental in the development of Covid-19 vaccines, submitted his resignation to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday. 

He was reportedly given the choice between resigning or being dismissed from his position.

In his resignation letter, which has been shared by several news outlets, Marks expressed frustration with the new leadership under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the agency's new head. 

He criticized the leadership for a lack of commitment to transparency, stating that the Secretary preferred to receive "subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies" rather than truth.

Marks had served as the director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research since 2016, and had been with the agency since 2012. 

He played a key role in the development of Covid-19 vaccines during the Trump administration.

In a response to Marks’ resignation, HHS issued a statement to the BBC, stating that if Marks was unwilling to support restoring science and radical transparency at the FDA, then he had no place in the agency under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy. Marks’ resignation is set to take effect on April 5.

Marks also voiced concern in his letter over the current measles outbreak in Texas, noting the risk of undermining trust in public health science. 

As of Friday, 523 measles cases had been reported, including two fatalities, with 400 of the cases located in Texas.

Kennedy, who heads the HHS, has long been a vocal critic of vaccines and has been accused of promoting false health information. 

Earlier this week, he announced plans to restructure HHS, which includes cutting 10,000 jobs, including those at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Source: BBC 

BDST: 1316 HRS, MAR 29, 2025
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