NIH Board Chair: New Vaccine Clinic Lacks New Funds

The chair of the board overseeing the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital delivered a sharp critique of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a recent meeting. Leslie argued that the secretary's recent activities threaten the institution's standing, specifically regarding the opening of a new vaccine injury clinic.

The controversy centers on a surprise ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the hospital. Kennedy attended the event, which featured a panel of individuals claiming vaccine injuries. These attendees sat behind signs reading "vaccine injured" and spoke with Kennedy and other senior Trump administration officials. Leslie spent approximately six minutes of the session addressing this event directly, moving past standard agenda items to issue his warning.

Leslie stated that the board has a duty to speak out, even if doing so creates friction. He noted that some might prefer the board remain silent, but he viewed quiet as a failure of their advisory role. "But I think that that would be a failing as an advisory board if we were silent," he said. He emphasized that his objection is not to the science itself. Leslie confirmed he has no issue with studying potential vaccine harms and stated that "serious reactions are rare, but real." He added that people who believe they have been injured should "be taken seriously."

Hospital CEO Jonathan Green supported Leslie's point that the new clinic is a modest addition. Green, who sat next to Leslie during the meeting, clarified that the NIH has researched vaccine safety and efficacy for decades. He described the new clinic as just one more individual "protocol" within the hospital's existing research framework.

The new clinic does not come with additional funding or extra physical space. The NIH already maintains a center dedicated to studying vaccine injuries. Green and Leslie together presented the clinic as a minor expansion of current work rather than a major structural change. Leslie framed the concern as one of reputation for a hospital often called the "house of hope," which serves patients with rare conditions and those who have exhausted other options.

The remarks highlight a distinction between the public spectacle of the opening and the clinic's practical reality. While the ceremony involved prominent officials and patient advocates, the hospital's leadership describes the initiative as a continuation of long-standing research efforts without new financial resources.