HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Fires NIH Vaccine Whistleblower Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has terminated Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo from her role as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), citing his constitutional authority without providing a detailed reason. Marrazzo had filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that the Trump administration politicized vaccine research, canceled clinical trials, and displayed hostility toward COVID-19 vaccines, leading to claims that her firing was retaliatory. This dismissal comes amid wider leadership changes at NIH, including Kennedy's replacement of all 17 previous Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members, which has influenced new vaccine recommendations and stirred controversy over vaccine safety priorities. Concurrently, Dr. Bruce Carleton revealed that a major CDC grant supporting his vaccine safety research was abruptly terminated, a move that contrasts with the current committee's increased focus on vaccine safety. The changes and conflicts within NIH and HHS reflect ongoing tensions between political and scientific perspectives on vaccine policies, with critics expressing concern about the impact on public health and scientific integrity. These developments coincide with rising vaccine-preventable diseases, such as whooping cough in Mississippi, which health officials attribute to declining vaccination rates.