FDA Appoints COVID Response Critic Dr. Vinay Prasad to Oversee Vaccine Program

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has selected Dr. Vinay Prasad, who was critical of some COVID-19 public health measures, to lead its program on vaccines and biological drugs.

The Details: Prasad is a professor at the University of California San Francisco who has also made a name for himself as a writer on Substack and commentator on X. Prasad criticized government responses to COVID and questioned whether young males should receive the shot due to showing a higher rate of myocarditis, but called the COVID shot itself “a miraculous, life-saving advance.”

For Context: The FDA falls under the jurisdiction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been an outspoken critic of several vaccines and other drugs in the past. Prasad’s appointment was announced to staff by FDA head Dr. Marty Makary, and he replaces Dr. Peter Marks, who helped lead the program for 13 years. Prasad has previously criticized Marks in his writings, calling him “anti-data” and “a bobblehead doll that just stamps approval.”

Key Quotes: Marks said, “It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.” Makary reportedly wrote, “(Prasad) brings a great set of skills, energy, and competence to the FDA and I know that he is eager to begin immersing himself in the important work of CBER and the agency as a whole.”

How The Media Covered It: Some outlets, like Newsweek (Center bias) and Axios (Lean Left), framed the pick as the choice of Kennedy. CNN (Lean Left) and Washington Examiner (Lean Right) noted that biotech stocks were down significantly after the announcement.

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