Health and Human Services (HHS) Opens National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Clinic to Study Suspected Vaccine Injuries

The office will also propose a rule that reimburses physicians who submit suspected injury reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and will require patients’ electronic health records to accompany those reports. The initiative was announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this week.

The Hill

The clinic’s budget, enrollment criteria, research protocol, and oversight mechanisms have not been disclosed. HHS and NIH spokespeople declined comment on these points. Reporters note that the clinic’s value will hinge on whether it uses comparison groups, how diagnoses are confirmed, and whether findings undergo independent peer review. Additional uncertainties include the size of the annual budget, the cost and mechanics of physician payments, and how data will be shared with existing vaccine-safety systems such as VAERS, the Vaccine Safety Datalink, and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The launch occurs amid the nation’s largest measles outbreak in years, with five deaths reported in Pennsylvania according to Bloomberg.

Medical DailyThe Hill

Secretary Kennedy framed the effort as a response to families who feel their concerns have been ignored. The CDC also described most vaccine side effects as minor and short-lived, noting that the clinic’s opening does not alter vaccine schedules or insurance coverage.

Medical Daily

• “We must listen to patients and families who report vaccine injuries—not dismiss or gaslight them,” — F. Kennedy, human services secretary

The Hill

• “For many years, you've asked questions from outside the government, as I did,” — Speaking

Medical Daily

These statements capture the administration’s stated intent to listen to reported injuries and Kennedy’s claim that external questions have long been raised.

Medical Daily