A Washington Post report on March 28 that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) forced the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) top vaccine official—Peter Marks, MD—to resign or be fired quickly caught the attention of some lawmakers, along with members of the scientific and business communities.

Marks submitted his resignation letter, with an effective date of April 5. The development comes amid a major change in focus under the leadership of new HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, which the agency spelled out in a March 27 announcement.

Marks: Kennedy wants support for misinformation, lies

Marks is a hematologist oncologist who has led the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) since 2016 after serving as its deputy director since 2012. He has widely been credited as playing a key role in Operation Warp Speed, a partnership between the federal government and the private sector that streamlined the development, production, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.

In his resignation letter, published by the Post and other media outlets, Marks raised concerns about efforts to undermine confidence in vaccines, especially against the backdrop of a multistate measles outbreak that is especially severe in Texas. Marks said he was willing to work with Kennedy to address his concerns over vaccine safety and transparency. Kennedy has minimized the outbreak and has suggested alternative treatments, including vitamin A, which some hospital officials said has been linked to cases of liver problems.