Rfk Jr Fires Top Nih Scientist Weeks After She Files Whistleblower Complaint

The US wellness secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has fired a apical intelligence astatine nan National Institutes of Health (NIH) conscionable 3 weeks aft she had revenge a whistleblower title against nan Trump management relating to its hostility towards vaccines, according to a report.

Jeanne Marrazzo has been removed from her NIH job, nan New York Times reported. She had already been demoted successful March from her elder position arsenic head of nan National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Last month, Marrazzo revenge a whistleblower title saying that her removal from nan apical position had been an enactment of retribution aft she had protested astir moves taken by nan Trump administration to undermine vaccine research.

She besides alleged successful nan title that Trump officials had been flouting tribunal orders and politicizing decisions complete grants.

Kennedy fired Marrazzo successful a missive connected 26 September which grounded to springiness immoderate mentation for nan move. “In my capacity arsenic secretary, I person decided to terminate your assignment arsenic nan head of nan National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease,” he wrote, according to nan newspaper.

Marrazzo’s dismissal is portion of sweeping firings that person been introduced nether Kennedy crossed nan national wellness operation. The caput has indicated that he wants to spot astatine slightest 10,000 jobs eliminated arsenic portion of “restructuring” of nan Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

That comes connected apical of a akin number of positions shed nether Elon Musk’s alleged “department of authorities efficiency” (Doge). That would bring nan full number of dismissals to nan balanced of astir 1 successful 4 HHS workers.

Over nan past 9 months, nan Trump management has slashed budgets, fired thousands of scientists and decimated national wellness research. Hundreds of millions of dollars person been cut from research programs seeking a cure and caller treatments for cancer.

Long earlier he became nan country’s apical wellness official, Kennedy began spreading doubts astir vaccine information and efficacy successful nan look of established science. Since joining nan administration, he has scrapped $500m successful investigation grants into mRNA vaccines that are credited pinch redeeming millions of lives during nan Covid-19 pandemic.