Dr. Vinay Prasad, a top vaccine regulator at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is returning to his position less than two weeks after his departure. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that Prasad will again head the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which oversees vaccines and complex treatments for serious diseases.
Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist, joined the Trump administration as a senior health official after publicly criticizing the government’s response to health crises. On July 29, he was removed from his role after facing criticism from conservative figures such as far-right activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who criticized his approach to drug approvals and his past political views. However, a White House review found the complaints to be disingenuous, according to two people familiar with the situation.
A White House spokesperson stated, “It was not only appropriate, but critical for the administration to recruit the most qualified and experienced staffers who are totally aligned with President Trump’s agenda to ‘Make America Great Again.'”
The reversal followed FDA Commissioner advocating for Prasad’s return.
Prasad returns to FDA role
“The idea that he was pushed out by anybody is simply untrue,” Makary said at a news conference.
“He saw some media headlines and didn’t want to be a distraction. We have encouraged him to reconsider, and we’re still doing that.”
In a post, Loomer criticized the decision, calling it an “egregious personnel decision,” and vowed to increase her investigations into HHS and FDA officials. It is unclear whether Prasad will also return to his additional former role as the FDA’s chief medical and scientific officer.
Prasad had been a vocal critic of some of the agency’s drug approvals, as well as the government’s response and vaccine policies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Internal memos from May revealed that he opposed recommendations for two new versions of Covid-19 vaccines. The then-CBER director rebuked recommendations for broad use of the shots; the FDA eventually approved the vaccines for use in older and immunocompromised people but did not advise them for younger Americans without underlying conditions.