Officials familiar with internal planning say Tracey Beth Hoeg, the acting director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations drug center, is anticipated to depart the agency only days after the resignation of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.
Hoeg, who is trained as an epidemiologist and sports physician, has been a prominent figure in recent policy discussions at the agency. During the COVID-19 pandemic she publicly cast doubt on COVID vaccines, and in January she played a leading role in efforts to revise the U.S. childhood immunization schedule. That initiative reduced the number of recommended childhood shots from 17 to 11.
Those proposed changes to the childhood vaccine schedule are not moving forward at this time. Officials say the adjustments were placed on hold in connection with a lawsuit that challenges the broader overhaul of vaccine policies being advanced under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.
Asked for comment, HHS pointed to a standard response on staffing matters. "HHS and FDA do not comment on personnel matters," HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard said in a statement. The decision to remove Hoeg from her post, while widely expected inside the agency, has not been finalized, and Hoeg was not immediately available for comment.
The anticipated exit would coincide with a broader reorganization at the Department of Health and Human Services. The White House has reportedly increased its involvement with the department in recent months. Observers note that public opinion polls indicate Health Secretary Kennedy's efforts to alter U.S. vaccine policy could carry political costs ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans keep control of Congress.
As planning continues within the agency and the department, the timing and finality of any personnel moves remain subject to change, according to sources familiar with the matter.