Former Vaccine Official Sues Trump Administration Over Firing

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, a former top official at the National Institutes of Health, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming she was unlawfully fired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for whistleblowing on internal disagreements regarding vaccine research.

According to CBS News, Marrazzo alleges that she was placed on indefinite leave in March after advocating for the importance of childhood flu vaccines and opposing the cancellation of long-standing clinical trials.

After publicly sharing her concerns in an interview, she was terminated in October, an act she describes as retaliation for speaking out. Marrazzo's lawsuit highlights the appointment of vaccine skeptics to leadership roles within health agencies, which she believes undermines public health and safety.

In her statement, she expressed that the decisions made by HHS leadership have put the public's health at risk and have potentially wasted billions of dollars. Marrazzo seeks to reclaim her job and aims to protect whistleblower rights for federal employees.

An HHS spokesperson defended the current leadership, asserting that they remain aligned with the administration's vaccine priorities. Marrazzo's whistleblower complaint had initially been filed with the Office of Special Counsel, but she claims that the independence of federal agencies to investigate such allegations has been compromised, prompting her to pursue legal action instead.