RFK Jr. Fires NIH Whistleblower for Opposing His Vaccine Policies

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, a top National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist.

Marrazzo is one of four NIH directors to have been fired by Kennedy. (Photo: National Institutes of Health)

Marrazzo was appointed to succeed Dr. Anthony Fauci as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in August 2023, Toria Sheffield reported for People.

Marrazzo claims her termination was a result of her objections to Trump administration policies regarding vaccines and clinical trials.

She was demoted and placed on administrative leave in March, according to The New York Times.

She filed a complaint against the Trump administration with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in September, alleging she was silenced and demoted after speaking out against policies she said undermined vaccine research, defied court orders, and canceled important clinical trials.

Marrazzo was officially fired on Wednesday, Oct. 1, according to a copy of the termination letter obtained by The New York Times.

The letter from Kennedy, who serves as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, did not provide a specific reason for the termination, the outlet reported.

“My termination, unfortunately, shows that the leaders of HHS and the National Institutes of Health do not share my commitment to scientific integrity and public health,” Marrazzo said.

She added, “Congress must act to protect scientific research from those who would serve political interests first.”

Her attorney, Debra S. Katz, said the Trump administration “terminated Dr. Marrazzo for her advocacy on behalf of critical health research and for her support of the overwhelming body of evidence that shows vaccines are safe and effective.”

Marrazzo is one of four NIH directors to have been fired by Kennedy.

Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable, who led the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Dr. Diana Bianchi, who led the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and Shannon Zenk, who led the National Institute of Nursing Research, have also been terminated, according to Science.org.