NIH board chair says Kennedy vaccine clinic adds no new money or space

The leadership team at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital met on a recent Thursday to address the opening of a new vaccine injury clinic.

Jack Leslie, the chair of the hospital’s board, stated that the clinic operated by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brings no new funding and uses no extra physical space.

Leslie delivered a six minute address during the regularly scheduled meeting, pausing his usual agenda to critique the recent ribbon cutting ceremony.

He noted that Kennedy’s surprise appearance and panel of patients holding signs labeled 'vaccine injured' created a specific public image for the facility.

Leslie argued that the hospital, often referred to as a 'house of hope' for patients with rare conditions, could suffer reputational damage from the high profile launch.

He emphasized that the board’s silence would be a failure in its advisory role, despite some members preferring to avoid criticism of the secretary's efforts.

Jonathan Green, the hospital’s chief executive officer, sat beside Leslie and supported the financial assessment.

Green described the new clinic as a single research protocol rather than a major operational shift.

He pointed out that the NIH has studied vaccine safety and efficacy for decades and that this work continues under the current administration.

Leslie clarified that his objection was not to the science of studying vaccine harms but to the manner of the clinic’s public introduction.

He acknowledged that serious reactions are rare but real and that patients who believe they have been injured deserve to be taken seriously.

The combined remarks from the board chair and the hospital CEO illustrate the practical reality of the clinic's launch.