Jack Leslie tells NIH board vaccine clinic threatens hospital's standing

Jack Leslie, chair of the board overseeing the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital, warned colleagues that the new vaccine injury clinic could damage the institution's reputation. He made these remarks during a recent regularly scheduled board meeting. Leslie devoted approximately six minutes of the session to addressing the issue directly.

Leslie described the hospital as a "house of hope" for patients with rare conditions who have exhausted other options. He argued that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s visible anti-vaccine activities create a risk to that identity. Leslie stated that remaining silent on the matter would constitute a failure of the advisory board's duty.

The criticism centered on a ribbon-cutting ceremony where Kennedy surprised attendees by opening his signature clinic. A panel of individuals who claim they were injured by vaccines sat behind placards reading "vaccine injured" during the event. They spoke with Kennedy and other senior Trump administration officials present at the ceremony.

Leslie clarified that his objection was not to scientific research into vaccine harms. He acknowledged that serious reactions are rare but real, adding that people who believe they have been injured should be taken seriously. He noted that the new clinic does not come with additional funding or extra clinic space.

Jonathan Green, the hospital's CEO, supported Leslie's account from his seat at the table. Green stated that the NIH has researched vaccine safety and efficacy for decades. He characterized the new clinic as just one more individual protocol within the hospital's existing research structure.

The remarks from both leaders highlight a disconnect between the high-profile launch and the clinic's practical resources. Leslie focused on the reputational risk to a facility serving vulnerable patients. Green framed the addition as a modest expansion of ongoing research work.