\n<\/span>
\nDr. Peter Marks, then-director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, testifies on Capitol Hill, on May 11, 2021.Jim Lo Scalzo \/ Pool via AP file<\/p>\n
Reasons Behind the Resignation<\/h2>\n
In a resignation letter to acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner, Marks wrote that undermining confidence in vaccines is \u201cirresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation\u2019s health, safety, and security.\u201d He said that he had been willing to work with Kennedy to address any concerns about vaccine safety and transparency.
\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.<\/p>\n
Background of Dr. Peter Marks<\/h2>\n
Marks did not respond to a request for comment. Marks has led the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, or CBER, since 2016. The division is responsible for assuring the safety and effectiveness of a number of medical products, including vaccines.<\/p>\n
Role in the Covid Pandemic<\/h2>\n
Marks helped lead the nation through the Covid pandemic, playing a key role in authorizing the first Covid vaccines in late 2020, from first from Pfizer-BioNTech and then shortly after, Moderna. He helped launch Operation Warp Speed, the first Trump administration’s private-public partnership to quickly develop the vaccines.<\/p>\n
Criticism from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/h2>\n
Kennedy has also worked to undermine confidence in the measles vaccine amid the largest outbreak the United States has seen since 2019. While he\u2019s said vaccines protect children from the measles, he\u2019s also said the decision to vaccinate is a \u201cpersonal\u201d one. In a recent interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Kennedy said the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine \u201cdoes cause deaths every year.\u201d There have been no deaths linked to the MMR vaccine in healthy people, according to the Infectious Disease Society of America. The vaccine is not recommending for immunocompromised people.<\/p>\n The resignation of Dr. Peter Marks highlights the challenges faced by scientists and regulators in promoting vaccine confidence and addressing misinformation. As Marks noted in his resignation letter, undermining confidence in vaccines is \u201cirresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation\u2019s health, safety, and security.\u201d The ongoing debates and controversies surrounding vaccines underscore the need for evidence-based information and transparent communication to ensure public trust in vaccine safety and effectiveness.<\/p>\n Q: Who is Dr. Peter Marks? Introduction to the Resignation of Dr. Peter Marks Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s top vaccine regulator, has resigned, an official at the Department of Health and Human Services said Friday. \u201cIf Peter Marks does not want to get behind restoring science to its golden standard and promoting radical transparency, then he has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-17657","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/media.nbcchicago.com\/2025\/03\/AP21323672557881-e1743217135441.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17657"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17657"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17659,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17657\/revisions\/17659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Robert](\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-03\/250328-rfk-jr-ch-0944-50fa9b.jpg\")
<\/span>
\nRobert F. Kennedy Jr. on Capitol Hill on Jan. 29.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds \/ AFP via Getty Images file
\nKennedy, an anti-vaccine activist, has been critical of the Covid vaccines, and filed a citizens petition in 2021 requesting that the FDA revoke the authorization of the vaccines. That same year, he called described the Covid vaccine as the \u201cdeadliest vaccine ever made.\u201d<\/p>\nUndermining Confidence in Vaccines<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\nA: Dr. Peter Marks is the former director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, responsible for assuring the safety and effectiveness of medical products, including vaccines.
\nQ: Why did Dr. Marks resign?
\nA: Dr. Marks resigned due to differences with Secretary Kennedy over vaccine safety and transparency, citing the undermining of confidence in vaccines as \u201cirresponsible\u201d and \u201cdetrimental to public health.\u201d
\nQ: What is the role of the FDA in vaccine regulation?
\nA: The FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, including authorizing their use and monitoring their safety post-authorization.
\nQ: What are the concerns surrounding vaccine confidence?
\nA: Concerns include misinformation and disinformation about vaccine safety and effectiveness, which can lead to decreased vaccine uptake and outbreaks of preventable diseases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"