A view of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 27, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis

(Reuters) -A top biosecurity adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services, who believed messenger RNA Covid vaccines should be taken off the market, was fired over the weekend, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday citing an agency official.

Steven Hatfill, a senior adviser at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, has been fired after six months in the role. Hatfill had advocated for unproven Covid-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine during the pandemic, the report said.

The agency cited false claims of being the chief medical officer at ASPR and lack of effective cooperation with government agencies and department leadership, the report added.

The HHS did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Hatfill could not be immediately reached for comment.

ASPR, a division of HHS, leads the nation's medical and public health preparedness for and response to disasters and public health emergencies.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)