Former NIAID director sues HHS over firing
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who succeeded Anthony Fauci as NIAID director, filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging she was unlawfully fired in October by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in retaliation for whistleblowing over vaccine research decisions and after an interview with CBS News. Marrazzo says she was placed on indefinite leave in late March, filed a September complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, and alleges senior official Dr. Matthew Memoli downplayed vaccines; HHS declined comment on the suit and defended Memoli as aligned with administration vaccine priorities.
đ Key Facts
- Marrazzo alleges retaliatory firing by HHS after she raised concerns about canceled vaccine trials and spoke publicly.
- Timeline: placed on leave in late March 2025; OSC complaint filed September 2025; terminated October 2025; lawsuit filed Tuesday.
- HHS declined to comment on the litigation; a spokesperson said Dr. Memoli remains aligned with vaccine priorities.
đ Relevant Data
In the 2024-2025 flu season, there were 280 influenza-associated pediatric deaths in the United States, representing a national rate of 3.8 deaths per 1 million children.
CDC reports highlight 2024-25 flu season's deadly impact on US kids â CIDRAP
Black children had the highest influenza mortality rate of 5.8 per 1 million in the 2024-2025 season, compared to the national average of 3.8 per 1 million.
CDC reports highlight 2024-25 flu season's deadly impact on US kids â CIDRAP
As of the 2023-2024 flu season, flu vaccination rates among children were highest for Asian children at 70%, followed by Hispanic children at 61%, with lower rates for other groups.
Recent Changes in Children's Vaccination Rates by Race and Ethnicity â KFF
Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color communities bear a disproportional burden of seasonal influenza hospitalizations in the United States.
Closing the Gap in Race-based Inequities for Seasonal Influenza Hospitalizations â Oxford Academic
Interim estimates for the 2024â2025 seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness among children and adolescents ranged from 32% to 78% against various influenza-associated outcomes in different settings.
Interim Estimates of 2024â2025 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness â CDC
The US government canceled contracts for the development of next-generation and universal influenza vaccines in early 2025.
Next-Generation Influenza Vaccines and the Pandemic Horizon â PMC
The FY 2025 budget request includes $270.0 million for universal influenza vaccine research at NIH.