Home / Health / FDA Drug Chief Out Amid Vaccine Skepticism Row
FDA Drug Chief Out Amid Vaccine Skepticism Row
16 May
Summary
- Top FDA drug regulator Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg is leaving her post.
- Høeg's appointment drew controversy due to vaccine skepticism concerns.
- This marks another high-level departure at the FDA.
Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg, who led the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), has departed from her role. She had served as acting director since December, overseeing the review of new drug applications. Her appointment had reportedly caused unease among senior FDA officials due to concerns about her history of vaccine skepticism.
These developments occur in the wake of several other high-level departures from the agency. Most recently, former FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary resigned following reports of internal disagreements, particularly regarding the approval of flavored e-cigarettes. Dr. Vinay Prasad, who previously headed the FDA office for vaccine approvals, also left the agency last month.
Høeg's past work included co-authoring a memo that controversially linked child deaths to the COVID-19 vaccine, a claim unsupported by data, and involvement in efforts to reduce recommended childhood vaccines. Despite these controversies, Høeg had stated her commitment to transparency and science-based decision-making.
