Statement  Monday, October 19, 2026

Statement from NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and NIAID Acting Director John H. Powers III on the New NIH Vaccinology and Immunology Center

People who report serious health problems, including those that occur after vaccination or long-term symptoms after infections, deserve to be heard, taken seriously, and evaluated with the best tools science can offer. In 1986, Congress established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. In doing so, it recognized that vaccines have benefited many people, and that, like every medical intervention, they can also cause adverse effects in some who receive them. Recently, the experiences of Americans suffering from Long COVID have highlighted the reality that many infections can cause long-term symptoms often indistinguishable from adverse events after vaccination.

Therefore, the NIH is establishing a new research study called the Vaccinology and Immunology Center, the opening of which we marked on October 5. The center will bring together patients, physician-scientists, and laboratory researchers to investigate health problems following vaccination and infections, and turn discoveries into better care and safer vaccines.

Through the new center, NIH will:

• Understand symptoms and pathophysiology of disease. Evaluate participants’ illnesses, examine the immunology of how vaccination or infection may have contributed, and investigate other related biological mechanisms.
• Identify risk factors. Study why some people experience symptoms and what may make them more vulnerable to these consequences of vaccination or infection.
• Explore treatment options. Provide treatment as appropriate under the research protocol and seek to connect participants with ongoing care closer to home.
• Inform vaccine safety. Use findings to guide efforts to improve vaccines and vaccination practices.

NIH is finalizing the study protocol and anticipates launching the study before the end of 2026. We expect to enroll several hundred participants initially, focusing on individuals experiencing the most serious adverse effects following vaccination or long-term symptoms post-infection. Participants will enter through research enrollment and attend scheduled study visits. The center will not accept walk-in patients or offer routine appointments to the general public.

The new center is a research study within NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center clinic, which NIH established in 1999. At the NIH Clinical Center, physician-scientists and laboratory researchers will connect clinical evaluations with laboratory investigations. Advances in immunology give these teams new tools to examine individual responses to vaccination and infection and to investigate the mechanisms underlying participants’ symptoms.

Prospective participants can contact the NIH Clinical Center’s Office of Patient Recruitment at 800-411-1222 or [email protected] for information while NIH finalizes the study protocol.

Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Institutes of Health

John H. Powers III, M.D.
Acting Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health^®

Frequently Asked Questions About the NIH Vaccinology and Immunology Center

What is the Vaccinology and Immunology Center?

The Vaccinology and Immunology Center (VIC) is a new NIH research center dedicated to investigating health problems people experience following vaccination or infection. Physician-scientists and laboratory researchers will work with study participants to investigate potential causes, identify risk factors, and explore approaches to treatment.

The VIC is a research study within NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center, which NIH established in 1999.

Why does this announcement matter?

People who report serious health problems following vaccination or infection deserve careful evaluation and a serious scientific response. Many, however, have felt dismissed or ignored. This center creates a dedicated research setting where scientists can investigate key questions directly with participants.

We cannot improve vaccine safety or care for patients without identifying and studying injuries and long-term symptoms when they occur. What researchers learn from participants could help improve care, identify people at greater risk, and guide safer vaccines and vaccination practices.

What will the center investigate?

Researchers will examine participants’ symptoms, medical histories, immune responses, and other biological findings to address key questions:

• What biological mechanisms could explain the symptoms?
• What other causes or contributing factors might be involved?
• Why might some people face greater risk than others?
• Which approaches could improve treatment and care?

Researchers will follow the evidence and report what they find, including uncertainties and limitations.

Why is NIH suited to this work?

NIH brings together expertise in immunology and vaccine research, specialized clinical research facilities, and advanced laboratory capabilities. At the NIH Clinical Center, physician-scientists and laboratory researchers work together to connect observations in patients with investigations into underlying biology. Advances in immunology give these teams new tools to study individual immune responses to vaccination and infection.

Did the October 5 opening mean the center began accepting patients?

The October 5 opening marked the establishment of the center. NIH is still finalizing the study protocol—the plan that defines eligibility, research procedures, and treatment options—and anticipates launching the study before the end of 2026.

Participants will enter through the research enrollment process and attend scheduled study visits.

Who will be eligible to participate?

NIH is finalizing eligibility criteria. The initial study will focus on individuals experiencing the most serious symptoms. NIH will provide detailed eligibility requirements when it finalizes the protocol.

How many people will participate?

NIH anticipates enrolling several hundred participants initially. Researchers will reevaluate the study’s scope after launch and provide more information about capacity as plans advance.

Where will study visits take place?

Enrolled participants may visit the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for research evaluations. The study may also refer participants to local clinics and partner facilities for evaluation and care.

Will the center provide treatment?

During scheduled research visits, physician-scientists will evaluate participants’ illnesses and provide treatment as appropriate under the study protocol. The study will also seek to connect participants with clinics closer to home for ongoing care.

The VIC will operate through research enrollment. It will not accept walk-in patients or offer routine appointments to the general public.

I believe I have a vaccine injury or long-term symptoms after infection. How can I learn about participating?

Contact the NIH Clinical Center’s Office of Patient Recruitment at 800-411-1222 or [email protected] for information while NIH finalizes the protocol. Contacting the recruitment office does not guarantee eligibility or enrollment.

Does a health problem following vaccination mean the vaccine caused it?

Timing alone does not establish causality. Researchers will investigate whether vaccination or infection may have contributed, whether another condition could explain the health problem, and which biological mechanisms may be involved.

People deserve to have their symptoms taken seriously while researchers pursue answers. Acknowledging uncertainty and investigating it rigorously are essential parts of that commitment.

Does investigating vaccine injuries undermine confidence in vaccines?

Investigating potential harms is part of responsible science. Vaccines prevent serious illness and save lives, and they can also cause adverse effects like any other medical product. Understanding those effects can help improve patient care and vaccine safety.

Public institutions earn trust by listening to patients, asking difficult questions, reporting findings transparently, and acting on the evidence.

How will this research help people who do not enroll?

The center aims to turn findings from study participants into knowledge that benefits a broader population. Discoveries could help clinicians recognize new syndromes, identify risk factors, and guide the development and use of safer vaccines.

The goal is to give patients, physicians, and researchers better evidence and better options for care.