NIH Board Chair Cites $0 in New Funding for Kennedy Vaccine Clinic

Jack Leslie, chair of the board overseeing the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital, stated that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine injury clinic carries zero additional funding and no extra clinic space. Leslie made these remarks at a recently scheduled board meeting, where he cautioned that the facility could damage the standing of the hospital, a site often referred to as the "house of hope" for patients with rare conditions.

The board chair spent approximately six minutes criticizing Kennedy's recent activities at the hospital. Leslie pointed to a surprise ribbon-cutting ceremony where Kennedy opened the clinic. That event featured a panel of individuals who described themselves as vaccine injured. These speakers sat behind placards identifying them as such and conversed with Kennedy and other senior officials from the Trump administration. Leslie argued that the board's silence on these events would constitute a failure of its advisory role.

"But I think that that would be a failing as an advisory board if we were silent," Leslie said. He clarified that his objection was not to the scientific study of vaccine harms. Leslie emphasized that serious reactions are rare but real and that patients who believe they have been injured should be taken seriously.

Jonathan Green, the hospital's chief executive officer, supported Leslie's assessment of the clinic's financial structure. Green stated that the NIH has researched vaccine safety and efficacy for decades and that this work continues. He characterized the new clinic as one more individual protocol within the hospital rather than a major structural change. Green noted that the new facility does not require new resources beyond what the hospital already maintains.

The comments from the board chair and the hospital leader outline the current status of the clinic. Leslie focused on the potential reputational impact for an institution serving vulnerable patients. Green focused on the operational reality, describing the clinic as a modest addition to existing research efforts. The clinic was launched with no new budget allocation and no dedicated new space.

The board meeting included standard introductions and agenda items before Leslie delivered his remarks. The discussion occurred during a regularly scheduled session. The clinic serves as a venue for patients who report injuries from vaccines. The NIH already maintains a center for studying vaccine injuries, which operates alongside the new clinic.