Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, former head of vaccine research at the NIH, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was illegally fired by HHS under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after raising concerns about internal decisions that she says undercut vaccine research. Placed on indefinite leave in March and terminated in October after a CBS interview, Marrazzo seeks reinstatement and legal protection as a whistleblower. Her complaint names Dr. Matthew Memoli for downplaying vaccines, while HHS says Memoli remains aligned with the administration's vaccine priorities.
Former NIH Vaccine Chief Sues HHS, Alleges Illegal Firing After Blowing Whistle
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, the former head of vaccine research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday alleging she was illegally dismissed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after raising concerns about internal disputes over vaccine research.
Background
Marrazzo led the NIH division responsible for vaccine research until she was placed on indefinite leave in late March and later terminated in October. She says the leave and subsequent firing were retaliatory actions for publicly speaking out about the agency's direction and for filing a whistleblower complaint.
Allegations
In a formal whistleblower complaint and now in court filings, Marrazzo says she was sidelined after resisting decisions by administration-appointed officials who she says questioned the value of childhood influenza vaccines and halted long-running clinical trials. She alleges these actions risk public health and have wasted substantial public funds.
“I spoke up because the decisions by HHS leadership have put the public's health at risk and wasted billions of dollars — actions that will have devastating consequences for Americans' safety and wellbeing for decades to come,” Marrazzo said in a statement. “I was fired for calling this out, but I will not stay silent.”
Key Individuals
The lawsuit singles out Dr. Matthew Memoli, who served as acting NIH director earlier in the year before moving into the department’s No. 2 position. Marrazzo accuses Memoli of repeatedly downplaying the importance of vaccines in internal meetings, allegedly asserting that “vaccines are unnecessary if populations are healthy” and that the NIH “should not focus on vaccines.” She says those statements mirrored rhetoric associated with Secretary Kennedy and were alarming to career scientists.
Agency Response
An HHS spokesperson declined to comment directly on the lawsuit but told media that Dr. Memoli “remains fully aligned with this administration's vaccine priorities and consistently champions gold-standard, evidence-based science.” The department has not publicly acknowledged wrongdoing related to Marrazzo’s claims.
Legal Steps
Marrazzo previously followed a standard federal whistleblower route by filing a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel in September. In her new federal lawsuit, she says she turned to the courts because, in her view, the oversight process has been compromised and cannot fairly investigate or adjudicate her claims. She is seeking reinstatement to her position and protections for federal employees who come forward as whistleblowers.
Context
Marrazzo succeeded Dr. Anthony Fauci in 2023 as director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Her lawsuit highlights tensions between career scientists and political appointees over research priorities and the future of vaccine programs.
