FDA Dismisses Vaccine Director After Pressure and Supervision

• The FDA retains Dr. Robert Califf after a brief term.
• The Senate confirmed the appointment of Dr. Rochelle Walensky to the CDC.
• Supervision of genetic therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy became the reason for the dismissal.

Washington (AP) – The head of vaccines at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Robert Califf, retains his position after a brief term, during which he provoked a negative reaction from both the biotech company and patient groups. According to a representative of the Department of Health and Human Services, Califf "did not want to be sidelined" and decided to return to California to spend more time with family.

Califf joined the FDA in July 2025, after many years of academic work at the University of California in San Francisco. His approach to vaccine regulation was often criticized, and he became a target for conservative activists, who cited his past statements against President Trump.

One of the reasons for his dismissal was the supervision of genetic therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, during which under his leadership there were reported incidents of the drug being delivered after several fatal incidents. This provoked outrage from the families of patients who suffer from this condition.

In the backdrop of Califf's dismissal, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Dr. Rochelle Walensky to the position of director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Walensky became the first person in this position without a medical education since 1953, and she is supported by experts in the field of public health.

Tags: USA/Politics