WASHINGTON -- The apical vaccine authoritative with the Food and Drug Administration has resigned and criticized the nation’s apical wellness authoritative for allowing “misinformation and lies” to usher his reasoning down the information of vaccinations.
Dr. Peter Marks sent a missive to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner connected Friday saying that helium would resign and discontinue by April 5 arsenic manager of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
In his letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, Marks said helium was “willing to work” to code the concerns expressed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., astir the information of vaccinations. But helium concluded that wasn't possible.
“It has go wide that information and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but alternatively helium wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” helium wrote.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a petition for comment.
Marks was offered the prime of resigning oregon being fired by Kennedy, according to a erstwhile FDA authoritative acquainted with the discussions, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium didn’t person support to sermon the substance publicly.
Kennedy has a agelong past of spreading anti-vaccine misinformation, though during his Senate confirmation hearings helium seemed to accidental helium would not undermine vaccines. He promised the seat of the Senate wellness committee that helium would not alteration existing vaccine recommendations.
Since becoming commissioner, Kennedy has vowed to scrutinize the information of puerility vaccinations, contempt decades of grounds they are harmless and person saved millions of lives.
Marks oversaw the agency’s accelerated reappraisal and support of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.
Marks is credited with coining the sanction and conception for “Operation Warp Speed,” the effort nether President Donald Trump to rapidly manufacture vaccines portion they were inactive being tested for information and efficacy. The inaugural chopped years disconnected the mean improvement process.
Despite the project’s success, Trump repeatedly lashed retired astatine the FDA for not approving the archetypal COVID shots adjacent sooner. Trump told confidants aft his 2020 nonaccomplishment that helium would person been re-elected if the vaccine had been disposable earlier Election Day.
Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine adept astatine Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, criticized what helium called the “firing” of Marks.
“RFK Jr.’s firing of Peter Marks due to the fact that helium wouldn’t crook a genu to his misinformation run present allows the fox to defender the hen house," Offit said. “It’s a bittersweet time for America’s children.”
Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said the issues raised successful Marks' resignation missive “should beryllium frightening to anyone committed to the value of grounds to usher policies and diligent decisions.”
“I anticipation this volition intensify the connection crossed academia, manufacture and authorities to bolster the value of subject and evidence,” helium wrote.
The resignation follows quality Friday that HHS plans to laic disconnected 10,000 workers and unopen down full agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars successful funds for addiction services and assemblage wellness centers crossed the country.
In a station connected societal media Thursday, Kennedy criticized the section helium oversees arsenic an inefficient “sprawling bureaucracy." He besides faulted the department’s 82,000 workers for a diminution successful Americans’ health.
The resignation is the latest stroke to the beleaguered wellness agency, which has been rocked for weeks by layoffs, retirements and a chaotic return-to-office process that near galore staffers without imperishable offices, desks oregon different supplies. Last month, Jim Jones, the FDA’s lawman commissioner for foods, resigned, citing “the indiscriminate firing” of astir 90 staffers successful his division, according to a transcript of his resignation missive obtained by the AP.
Marks, who could not beryllium reached for comment, besides raised concerns successful his missive astir “efforts presently being precocious by immoderate connected the adverse wellness effects of vaccination are concerning” arsenic good arsenic the “unprecedented battle connected technological information that has adversely impacted nationalist wellness successful our nation.”
He went connected to item the historical benefits of vaccinations dating backmost to George Washington and pointed to the ongoing measles outbreak arsenic impervious of what tin hap erstwhile doubts astir subject instrumentality hold.
“The ongoing multistate measles outbreak that is peculiarly terrible successful Texas reminds america of what happens erstwhile assurance successful well-established subject underlying nationalist wellness and well-being is undermined,” helium wrote.
The measles outbreak, which could spell connected for months, has present dispersed to Kansas and Ohio aft sickening much than 370 successful Texas and New Mexico.
If it hits different unvaccinated communities crossed the U.S., arsenic whitethorn present beryllium the lawsuit successful Kansas, the outbreak could endure for a twelvemonth and endanger the nation’s presumption arsenic having eliminated the section dispersed of the vaccine-preventable disease, nationalist wellness experts said.
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Casey reported from Boston. Perrone reported from Washington, D.C.
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