By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Michael Erman
WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - The acting head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's drug center, Tracey Beth Hoeg, is expected to leave the agency just days after Commissioner Marty Makary resigned, according to three people familiar with internal planning.
Hoeg, an epidemiologist and sports physician who cast doubt on COVID vaccines during the pandemic, helped lead the effort to overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule by reducing the number of recommended
shots from 17 to 11 in January.
Those childhood vaccine schedule changes were put on hold as part of a lawsuit addressing the overhaul of vaccine policies under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.
"HHS and FDA do not comment on personnel matters," HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard said in a statement.
The decision, while expected, has not yet been finalized. Hoeg was not immediately available for comment.
Hoeg's departure would come amid a broader shake-up of the health department. The White House has exerted more control over the department in recent months as polls show Kennedy's efforts to rewrite U.S. vaccine policy could prove costly with voters in November's midterm elections that will decide whether Republicans retain control of Congress.
(Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb in Washington and Michael Erman in New York; editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)
