Peter Marks was just a pawn in a chess game. The real players are the pharma industry, the media and the Democrats. They are all united and playing chess against the public.
So far the public has been a loser. With Trump and RFK Jr, there is some hope for change.
Since advertising by pharma is allowed in the USA, media is bought and paid for by pharmaceutical companies. The media have been scribes for any narrative the medical industrial complex chose for COVID. Media threw away professional skepticism and intellectual honestly. All narratives presented by major media should be considered false. Whether in politics, medicine, climate, or other major subjects, skepticism is warranted.
Peter Marks, along with Janet Woodcock, were negligent on thoroughly looking into reported myocarditis cases. Despite thousands of employees at CDC as well as FDA they did not look at the cases reported in the VARES and VSD system because they were too busy. This was in spite of Israel’s strong signal showing risk to young men. Marks should have been fired then for failing to do his job as opposed to towing the political line. They were all too busy fighting the anti-vaccine movement. Now look at where we are…
Alex Tabarrok is a fan I think because of his willingness to push through the Covid vaccine in record speed. Here is his blog post:
Peter Marks was key to President Trump’s greatest first-term achievement: Operation Warp Speed. In an emergency, he pushed the FDA to move faster—against every cultural and institutional incentive to go slow. He fought the system and won.
I had some hope that FDA commissioner Mary Makary would team with Marks at CBER. Makary understands that the FDA moves too slowly. He wrote in 2021:
"COVID has given us a clear-eyed look at a broken Food and Drug Administration that’s mired in politics and red tape.
Americans can now see why medical advances often move at turtle speed. We need fresh leadership at the FDA to change the culture at the agency and promote scientific advancement, not hinder it.
This starts at the top. Our public health leaders have become too be accepting of the bureaucratic processes that would outrage a fresh eye. For example, last week the antiviral pill Molnupiravir was found to cut COVID hospitalizations in half and, remarkably, no one who got the drug died."
The irony is that Molnupiravir was developed a year ago. Do the math on the number of lives that could have been saved if health officials would have moved fast, allowing rolling trials with an evaluation of each infection and adverse event in real-time. Instead, we have a process that resembles a 7-part college application for each of the phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials.
A Makary-Marks team could have moved the FDA in a very promising direction. Unfortunately, disputes with RFK Jr proved too much. Marks was especially and deservedly outraged by the measles outbreak and the attempt to promote vitamins over vaccines:
“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Marks wrote in a resignation letter referring to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Thus, as of now, the FDA is moving in the wrong direction and Makary has lost an ally against RFK.
In other news, the firing of FDA staff is slowing down approvals, as I predicted it would.
Very unintelligent comment. Why would a brilliant physician like Makary ever team up with a political hack like Marks who ruined lives and careers with vaccine mandates and gave Pfizer 100 billion dollars. Get real!
Thank God Makary isnt teaming up with the likes of Marks. Not sure how you haven’t woken up to the corruption of the FDA, but it needs a complete overhaul of brilliant scientist/physicians that wont allow themselves to sell out to big pharmy.
I think the problem is that most science/health reporters are not well enough educated in data appraisal, so they don’t have the ability to judge for themselves the merits of our public health leaders’ decisions. They end up toeing the party line, doing what they’re told, and lack the ability to assess anything for themselves. This is unfortunate. These writers likely won’t see an article like this one. Educated persons willing to comment on these mainstream press articles would be performing a public service and would be more likely to reach misguided authors than those commenting here, or those writing Substack articles. We all appreciate the articles, but they don’t reach a large audience, which might be why so many people (not just Americans) are still so confused about Covid, vaccines, etc.
Everyone in the Media and politics and Medicine LIE about obesity stats. You too since YOU never responds to my comments. So it won't mean any high where we have vaccinations or raw milk or no fluoride we are 65% damaged and another 15% moving there. And the fastest growing segment is morbid obesity, and probably a third of the kids are obese too. Then there are the real diseases...
If you want Vinay Prasad to respond to your comments, it would help if you can write a decent sentence. What does your following sentence mean . . .
"So it won't mean any high where we have vaccinations or raw milk or no fluoride we are 65% damaged and another 15% moving there"
What a grammatical disaster. I had to consult AI (ChatGPT) to decipher what you were trying to say. Is this it? . . .
"So it doesn’t matter whether we have things like vaccinations, raw milk, or no fluoride — 65% of us are already damaged, and another 15% are on their way to being damaged."
I understand from other commenters that Vinay doesn’t read the comments. If that’s your only way to communicate with him, I doubt that you’ll get any response.
Medical science has become mostly an oxymoron to me. Yes there is the pharmaceutical mafia, but the medical profession also has a problem with money (insane remuneration) and, I am afraid, hubris. Even physics has been corrupted by money and hubris! I am now wondering why we even bother to do public health studies and clinical trials when in the end, the medical profession will only consider the results when they fit their narrative. The people in my life I thank most in retrospect are not the ones that told me nice things (though it was appreciated), but the ones that put me in my place when it was needed
I saw in recent YouTube video that Prasad reported those defending Covid vaccine to minors without parental consent claim that 14-year old male only has case for grievance if he experienced harm as result of vaccine. I have to respond because that is the same reason a retired HR friend gave in defense of DEI directors promoting “White Zionist controlled globalized media” wording in 2021 in SF. My friend: “Only if someone was harmed as a result.” I corrected friend by stating that a rule against racism is a rule against racism, period. “Parental consent” is a fundamental rule that the public service must comply with.
I think that we ALL can predict that Marks will be offered a high-paying job with one of the Big Pharma companies. It is all so predictable.
Earlier Marks was working for big pharma but getting his salary paid by the FDA.
Now he will be working for big pharma and getting his salary paid by them as well.
Peter Marks was just a pawn in a chess game. The real players are the pharma industry, the media and the Democrats. They are all united and playing chess against the public.
So far the public has been a loser. With Trump and RFK Jr, there is some hope for change.
He's not a "pawn", he IS the Medical Industrial Complex.
Wasn’t that Obama’s line… “hope and change” 😜. The media is the worse 😡
Since advertising by pharma is allowed in the USA, media is bought and paid for by pharmaceutical companies. The media have been scribes for any narrative the medical industrial complex chose for COVID. Media threw away professional skepticism and intellectual honestly. All narratives presented by major media should be considered false. Whether in politics, medicine, climate, or other major subjects, skepticism is warranted.
Media lied? Say it ain't so, Joe!
Of course they lied. The sooner you realize they lie for a living, you'll be better off.
Yes some journalists are for sale, but I think most are mainly lazy, cowards and/or just not curious or passionate
Peter Marks, along with Janet Woodcock, were negligent on thoroughly looking into reported myocarditis cases. Despite thousands of employees at CDC as well as FDA they did not look at the cases reported in the VARES and VSD system because they were too busy. This was in spite of Israel’s strong signal showing risk to young men. Marks should have been fired then for failing to do his job as opposed to towing the political line. They were all too busy fighting the anti-vaccine movement. Now look at where we are…
Excellent article as usual. As the saying goes, “tell me something I don’t already know.”Very tempted to post this article on FB.
Alex Tabarrok is a fan I think because of his willingness to push through the Covid vaccine in record speed. Here is his blog post:
Peter Marks was key to President Trump’s greatest first-term achievement: Operation Warp Speed. In an emergency, he pushed the FDA to move faster—against every cultural and institutional incentive to go slow. He fought the system and won.
I had some hope that FDA commissioner Mary Makary would team with Marks at CBER. Makary understands that the FDA moves too slowly. He wrote in 2021:
"COVID has given us a clear-eyed look at a broken Food and Drug Administration that’s mired in politics and red tape.
Americans can now see why medical advances often move at turtle speed. We need fresh leadership at the FDA to change the culture at the agency and promote scientific advancement, not hinder it.
This starts at the top. Our public health leaders have become too be accepting of the bureaucratic processes that would outrage a fresh eye. For example, last week the antiviral pill Molnupiravir was found to cut COVID hospitalizations in half and, remarkably, no one who got the drug died."
The irony is that Molnupiravir was developed a year ago. Do the math on the number of lives that could have been saved if health officials would have moved fast, allowing rolling trials with an evaluation of each infection and adverse event in real-time. Instead, we have a process that resembles a 7-part college application for each of the phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials.
A Makary-Marks team could have moved the FDA in a very promising direction. Unfortunately, disputes with RFK Jr proved too much. Marks was especially and deservedly outraged by the measles outbreak and the attempt to promote vitamins over vaccines:
“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Marks wrote in a resignation letter referring to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Thus, as of now, the FDA is moving in the wrong direction and Makary has lost an ally against RFK.
In other news, the firing of FDA staff is slowing down approvals, as I predicted it would.
Very unintelligent comment. Why would a brilliant physician like Makary ever team up with a political hack like Marks who ruined lives and careers with vaccine mandates and gave Pfizer 100 billion dollars. Get real!
Don’t shoot the piano player!
Thank God Makary isnt teaming up with the likes of Marks. Not sure how you haven’t woken up to the corruption of the FDA, but it needs a complete overhaul of brilliant scientist/physicians that wont allow themselves to sell out to big pharmy.
Don’t forget-handed FMT for C diff to pharma, forcing on us more expensive and less effective options.
I think the problem is that most science/health reporters are not well enough educated in data appraisal, so they don’t have the ability to judge for themselves the merits of our public health leaders’ decisions. They end up toeing the party line, doing what they’re told, and lack the ability to assess anything for themselves. This is unfortunate. These writers likely won’t see an article like this one. Educated persons willing to comment on these mainstream press articles would be performing a public service and would be more likely to reach misguided authors than those commenting here, or those writing Substack articles. We all appreciate the articles, but they don’t reach a large audience, which might be why so many people (not just Americans) are still so confused about Covid, vaccines, etc.
Hope to see Marks in Nuremberg 2.0
Everyone in the Media and politics and Medicine LIE about obesity stats. You too since YOU never responds to my comments. So it won't mean any high where we have vaccinations or raw milk or no fluoride we are 65% damaged and another 15% moving there. And the fastest growing segment is morbid obesity, and probably a third of the kids are obese too. Then there are the real diseases...
If you want Vinay Prasad to respond to your comments, it would help if you can write a decent sentence. What does your following sentence mean . . .
"So it won't mean any high where we have vaccinations or raw milk or no fluoride we are 65% damaged and another 15% moving there"
What a grammatical disaster. I had to consult AI (ChatGPT) to decipher what you were trying to say. Is this it? . . .
"So it doesn’t matter whether we have things like vaccinations, raw milk, or no fluoride — 65% of us are already damaged, and another 15% are on their way to being damaged."
I understand from other commenters that Vinay doesn’t read the comments. If that’s your only way to communicate with him, I doubt that you’ll get any response.
Medical science has become mostly an oxymoron to me. Yes there is the pharmaceutical mafia, but the medical profession also has a problem with money (insane remuneration) and, I am afraid, hubris. Even physics has been corrupted by money and hubris! I am now wondering why we even bother to do public health studies and clinical trials when in the end, the medical profession will only consider the results when they fit their narrative. The people in my life I thank most in retrospect are not the ones that told me nice things (though it was appreciated), but the ones that put me in my place when it was needed
Thanks for having the courage to say what you’re saying. Its hard.
I saw in recent YouTube video that Prasad reported those defending Covid vaccine to minors without parental consent claim that 14-year old male only has case for grievance if he experienced harm as result of vaccine. I have to respond because that is the same reason a retired HR friend gave in defense of DEI directors promoting “White Zionist controlled globalized media” wording in 2021 in SF. My friend: “Only if someone was harmed as a result.” I corrected friend by stating that a rule against racism is a rule against racism, period. “Parental consent” is a fundamental rule that the public service must comply with.
Wow!
Right on, Vinay. I am sharing this with everyone I can. Rick