NIH Chair Jack Leslie Flags $0 Cost of New Vaccine Clinic
The board chair warns the high-profile launch risks the hospital's reputation, while the CEO describes the clinic as a standard research protocol.
By Petra Murphy ·
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 adds zero new funds to the institution. Leslie delivered the warning at a regularly scheduled meeting, arguing that the high-profile launch could damage the hospital's standing.
After initial pleasantries, Leslie spent approximately six minutes critiquing Kennedy. He cautioned that the secretary's anti-vaccine activities threaten the reputation of a facility often called the "house of hope." The nickname reflects the hospital's role as a destination for patients with rare conditions and those who have exhausted other treatment options.
The criticism centered on Kennedy's surprise appearance at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the clinic. The event featured a panel of individuals who claimed vaccine-related injuries. These panelists sat behind signs reading "vaccine injured" and spoke with Kennedy and other senior Trump administration officials.
Leslie acknowledged that some members might prefer he avoid criticizing Kennedy. However, he argued that silence would represent a failure of the advisory board's duty. "But I think that that would be a failing as an advisory board if we were silent," he said.
The chair clarified that his objection was not to scientific inquiry. He stated he has no concerns about studying potential vaccine injuries. "Serious reactions are rare, but real," Leslie said, adding that those who believe they have been harmed should "be taken seriously."
Jonathan Green, the hospital's CEO, supported Leslie's account of the clinic's financial footprint. Green noted that the NIH has researched vaccine safety and efficacy for decades and that this work continues. He described the new clinic as just another individual "protocol" within the existing research framework.
The remarks highlight a discrepancy between the ceremony and the clinic's practical setup. Leslie framed the issue as a reputational risk for a hospital serving vulnerable patients. Green presented the clinic as a modest addition to research the NIH already conducts without extra space or funding.
