NIH Leadership: New Vaccine Clinic Lacks Budget and Space

The meeting began with pleasantries.

Jack Leslie, chair of the board overseeing the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital, set aside the standard agenda. He spent approximately six minutes addressing the recent launch of a vaccine injury clinic led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Leslie argued that the high-profile ceremony could damage the institution's standing. The hospital is known as a house of hope for patients with rare conditions or those who have exhausted other medical options.

Leslie cited Kennedy's surprise appearance at a ribbon-cutting event. During the ceremony, a panel of individuals who said they were hurt by vaccines sat behind placards reading vaccine injured. They spoke with Kennedy and other senior Trump administration officials. Leslie stated that silence from the advisory board would be a failure, even if some members preferred he not criticize the secretary directly.

The chair clarified that his objection was not to the science. He affirmed that serious reactions are rare but real, and people who believe they have been injured should be taken seriously. Leslie said he has no concerns about studying potential vaccine harms.

Jonathan Green, the hospital's CEO, sat next to Leslie during the session. Green supported Leslie's account of the clinic's status. He noted that the NIH has researched vaccine safety and efficacy for decades. Green described the new clinic as just one more individual protocol at the hospital.

The clinic operates without additional funding or extra clinic space. The NIH already maintains a center that studies vaccine injuries. Green emphasized that the research work continues as it has for decades.

Leslie's remarks focused on reputation, while Green focused on operational continuity. The two leaders highlighted a gap between the public ceremony and the clinic's practical footprint at the hospital.