A top vaccine official at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) resigned, citing Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s \u201cmisinformation\u201d and apparent lack of desire for \u201ctruth and transparency.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Peter Marks, who has led the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), stepped down on Friday after earlier in the day he was given a choice to either resign or be terminated, according<\/a> to multiple outlets<\/a>. The Wall Street Journal first reported his resignation. <\/p>\n Marks said that he was \u201cwilling\u201d to work to address Kennedy\u2019s \u201cconcerns\u201d about vaccine transparency and safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, 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,\u201d Marks wrote in his Friday resignation letter that was addressed to acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Hill has reached out to the FDA for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marks has been at the FDA since 2012. In 2016, he became the director of CBER, the center responsible<\/a> for the safety of \u201cvaccines, allergenic products, blood and blood products, and cellular, tissue and gene therapies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Marks, who got his graduate degree in cell and molecular biology, and medical degree at New York University, was instrumental in helping authorize the first vaccines against COVID-19 and played a major role in kickstarting Operation Warp Speed during President Trump\u2019s first term.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The top FDA official also criticized Kennedy on Friday over \u201cundermining\u201d the confidence in the vaccine against measles as the country faces an outbreak of the airborne viral disease. There are at least 400 confirmed cases<\/a> in Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUndermining confidence in well-established vaccines that have met the high standards for quality, safety, and effectiveness that have been in place for decades at FDA is irresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation’s health, safety. and security,\u201d Marks wrote in the letter that was obtained by The New York Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since taking the helm of HHS, Kennedy has worked to reshape the outlook department, looking<\/a> to dismiss 10,000 workers as part of a restructuring effort, while another 10,000 would be cut through buyouts and early retirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n The HHS secretary defended the upcoming cuts, saying<\/a> on The Hill\u2019s partner NewsNation that the agency is \u201cnot cutting front-line workers, we\u2019re cutting administrators, and we\u2019re consolidating the agency to make it more efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n