FDA Vaccine Chief Vinay Prasad Departs Agency Again

Prasad's second exit from the FDA follows controversies over vaccine and drug reviews.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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Dr. Vinay Prasad, the embattled head of the FDA's vaccine division, is leaving the agency for the second time in less than a year. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced Prasad's departure, citing his plan to return to his academic role at the University of California, San Francisco. Prasad's tenure has been marked by high-profile controversies over the FDA's review of vaccines, gene therapies, and other biotech drugs.

Why it matters

Prasad's departure adds further instability to the FDA's leadership on vaccine policy and drug regulation, areas that have faced intense scrutiny and political pressure in recent years. His exit comes as the agency navigates complex issues around COVID-19 shots, rare disease treatments, and balancing speed with safety in the drug approval process.

The details

Prasad was briefly forced out of his role as FDA vaccine chief last July after clashing with biotech executives, patient groups, and allies of former President Donald Trump. He was reinstated less than two weeks later with the backing of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Makary. As FDA vaccine chief, Prasad has taken a contradictory approach, at times announcing steps to speed up drug reviews, while also imposing new warnings and study requirements, particularly for COVID-19 vaccines that have been a target for Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist.

  • Prasad will depart the FDA at the end of April 2026.
  • Prasad was briefly forced out of his role as FDA vaccine chief in July 2025 before being reinstated less than two weeks later.

The players

Dr. Vinay Prasad

The embattled head of the FDA's vaccine division who is leaving the agency for the second time in less than a year to return to his academic role at the University of California, San Francisco.

Marty Makary

The FDA Commissioner who announced Prasad's upcoming departure in an email to FDA staff.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Health Secretary who backed Prasad's reinstatement to the FDA vaccine chief role in 2025 after his brief ouster.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

Prasad's departure adds further instability to the FDA's leadership on vaccine policy and drug regulation, areas that have faced intense scrutiny and political pressure in recent years. His exit comes as the agency navigates complex issues around COVID-19 shots, rare disease treatments, and balancing speed with safety in the drug approval process.