NIH Board: Kennedy's Unfunded Clinic Lacks Space
Hospital chair Jack Leslie criticized the vaccine injury clinic's ribbon-cutting ceremony, stating it added no new budget or physical footprint to the National Institutes of Health.
By Lucas Murphy ·
Jack Leslie, chair of the board overseeing the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital, warned that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine injury clinic risks damaging the institution's reputation. Leslie delivered the caution during a recently scheduled meeting, shifting the agenda to focus on Kennedy's recent activities at the facility. The hospital, frequently referred to as a house of hope, serves patients with rare conditions and those who have exhausted other medical options.
Leslie spent approximately six minutes detailing his objections to Kennedy's surprise appearance at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the clinic. The event featured a panel of individuals claiming vaccine injuries, who sat behind placards reading vaccine injured while speaking with Kennedy and other senior Trump administration officials. Leslie argued that remaining silent on the matter would constitute a failure for the advisory board, despite some members preferring he avoid criticizing the Health Secretary.
The chair clarified that his concerns do not stem from scientific inquiry into vaccine harms. He stated that serious reactions are rare but real and that patients who believe they have been injured should be taken seriously. Leslie emphasized that his objection was to the manner of the clinic's launch rather than the research itself.
Jonathan Green, the hospital's CEO, supported Leslie's account from his seat next to the board chair. Green noted that the NIH has researched vaccine safety and efficacy for decades and that this work continues. He described the new clinic as a single protocol within the existing hospital structure, rather than a major new initiative.
Green and Leslie both confirmed that the clinic comes with no additional funding and no extra clinic space. The NIH already maintains a center dedicated to studying vaccine injuries, making the new clinic a modest addition to ongoing research. The remarks highlighted a contrast between the high-profile public launch and the clinic's limited practical footprint within the hospital's existing operations.
Source: Ars Technica
