Ousted Vaccine Official Claims Kennedy’s Team Sought Nonexistent Data to Back Anti-Science Claims
Peter Marks, the former FDA vaccine chief, claims that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s team sought non-existent data to support anti-vaccine claims, even as broader federal health agency restructuring unfolds and delays impact vaccine approvals.
Published on April 5, 2025
In a report dating April 4, 2025, Peter Marks, the former head of the FDA’s vaccine division, alleged that members of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s team pressured him to produce data supporting claims of measles vaccine-related deaths and brain swelling—cases that do not exist in the U.S. Marks argued that these requests were intended to bolster anti-vaccine narratives, despite his efforts to improve transparency and communication with parents and doctors.
The controversy comes amid a significant restructuring of federal health agencies under Kennedy’s leadership, which includes plans to lay off 10,000 employees and centralize agency functions. Concurrently, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has backed Marks’ removal and delayed the approval of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine application, reinforcing concerns about the administration’s direction in its handling of public health data and regulatory processes.