Dr. Peter Marks, a leading vaccine expert at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), resigned on Friday, citing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s alleged spread of “misinformation and lies” about vaccines. In the resignation letter, Peter Marks condemned Kennedy’s aggressive rhetoric against vaccines, calling it “irresponsible” and a “clear danger to public health.”

The sudden resignation follows growing tensions between Peter Marks and the new administration over vaccine policies. A source told The New York Times that Marks was given an ultimatum: resign or face termination. His departure comes just hours after Kennedy, speaking in West Virginia, claimed COVID-19 did not kill healthy individuals, contradicting scientific studies.

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FDA Vaccine Chief Resigns, Slams Kennedy

Peter Marks, a key figure in the FDA’s vaccine program during the COVID-19 pandemic, played a crucial role in approving vaccines under Operation Warp Speed. He pushed for transparency and consistently defended vaccine safety and efficacy.

In his resignation letter, Marks warned against weakening public trust in vaccines. “Measles, which killed over 100,000 unvaccinated children last year in Africa and Asia, had been eliminated from our shores,” he wrote. He argued that downplaying vaccines while promoting alternatives—like Kennedy’s focus on vitamin A during a Texas measles outbreak—could lead to preventable deaths.

Tensions grew after Kennedy announced a new CDC office focused on vaccine injuries. He has long questioned vaccine safety and demanded further scrutiny. However, his views contradict extensive scientific research confirming their effectiveness.

Resignation Sparks Heated Response from Administration

Following Peter Marks’s resignation, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defended Kennedy’s leadership. “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 the FDA under the strong leadership of Secretary Kennedy,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Kennedy’s views on vaccines have long been controversial. His recent remarks in West Virginia, where he downplayed COVID-19’s impact on healthy individuals, sparked backlash from health experts. Research contradicts his claims, showing that about 30% of early COVID-19 deaths involved individuals with no underlying conditions.

Kennedy remains committed to his agenda. He reaffirmed his plans to create a vaccine injury agency, arguing it would bring “gold-standard science” to the federal government.

Meanwhile, Marks expressed hope that science and public health policy would recover from the administration’s stance. “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,” he wrote in his resignation letter.

As the FDA undergoes leadership changes, questions remain about how vaccine policies will evolve under Kennedy’s tenure. The departure of a key official like Marks signals ongoing friction within the administration over public health strategies and vaccine trust.