Vinay Prasad Returns to FDA After Being Ousted

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s top vaccine regulator is returning to his post less than two weeks after the White House had him ousted.

Dr. Vinay Prasad will again head the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which oversees vaccines and complex treatments for serious diseases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said Prasad is resuming his role “at the FDA’s request,” according to The Washington Post.

“Neither the White House nor HHS will allow the fake news media to distract from the critical work the FDA is carrying out under the Trump administration,” Nixon added in a statement.

Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist, joined the Trump administration as a senior health official after publicly criticizing the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On July 29, he was removed from his role after some conservative figures such as far-right activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer 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.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai said 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 Dr. Marty Makary advocating for Prasad’s return.

“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 on X, 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.

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SOURCE: The Washington Post, Aug. 10, 2025

Source: HealthDay