The Australian Government should immediately suspend the use of Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines due to accumulating evidence of high levels of synthetic DNA contamination in the shots, which present a “substantial risk” of genomic integration and long-term health impacts, including cancers, say leading scientists and academics.
In a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Russell Broadbent, independent MP for the federal seat of Monash, said that “immediate action through a suspension of these products is critical to mitigate further risk”, after independent testing of Australian vials of modified RNA (mod-RNA) Covid vaccines detected residual synthetic DNA at levels up to 145 above the legal limit.
The letter, circulated to all Australian MPs and Senators, is co-signed by 52 scientists and academics, many at the top of their fields, including Professor of Oncology Angus Dalgleish, Emeritus Professor Wendy Hoy, an expert in chronic disease, Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy, an immunologist who developed a bronchitis vaccine, geneticist Professor Alexandra Henrion Caude and microbiologist Professor Sucharit Bhakdi MD.
An accompanying science summary describes the concerns of Broadbent and co-signatories, who are asking the PM to adopt a “precautionary approach”, with the recommendation that “the Minister for Agriculture initiate a Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis of these products, potentially leading to the suspension of these products due to the risks they pose to human health”.
“Excessive synthetic foreign DNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles can integrate into human cells, potentially leading to genomic instability, cancers, immune system disruption and adverse hereditary effects,” explains the summary, which details the results of independent testing of the vaccines to date.
Residual synthetic DNA, a byproduct from the mod-RNA vaccine manufacturing process, is allowed under TGA regulations in levels of up to 10 nanograms (ng) per vaccine dose, a regulatory limit that was set for traditional vaccines and was not amended for mod-RNA products using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).
The summary goes on to explain why the LNP packaging of residual synthetic DNA makes these products different to traditional vaccines that may contain “naked” residual DNA.
“Crucially, naked DNA has no ability to cross cell membranes and enter cells. In contrast, synthetic DNA encapsulated in LNPs possesses a high transfection efficiency, meaning, the LNP-modDNA complexes are efficient at delivering synthetic DNA into human cells,” the summary states.
The summary cites research indicating that the presence of foreign DNA within the cell alone can induce cancer, but the risk is increased if the DNA enters the cell nucleus. This can occur in dividing cells, and the presence of an SV40 enhancer sequence (in Pfizer only), which is “long known to assist entry into the nucleus, even when cells are not undergoing cell division”, increases the risk further.
Once synthetic DNA is inside the cell nucleus, genomic integration is possible, the summary explains. And, “when genomic integration of foreign DNA occurs at the wrong place within the genome, it frequently induces malignant diseases, cancers, especially leukaemia”.
Genomic integration and cancer formation arising from synthetic DNA contamination are yet to be proven in vivo (in human tissue). However, the summary lists 19 resources from the scientific literature justifying the stated concerns and calls for a full and thorough investigation. Additionally, the summary cites putative evidence of genomic integration of residual synthetic DNA from the Pfizer vaccine in cancer cell lines.
To date, regulators, including the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), have said that the LNP packaging of residual synthetic DNA is of no significance, that the vaccines are not contaminated with high levels of DNA, and that the vaccine contents cannot enter the cell nucleus or genomically integrate.
Notably, the TGA did not require testing for carcinogenicity or genotoxicity before providing provisional approval and, eventually, full registration for mod-RNA Covid vaccines.
As regulators maintain that they are unconcerned by the potential risks posed by reported high levels of synthetic DNA in the mod-RNA Covid vaccines, several independent labs are now carrying out testing of human tissue to see if these potential risks are indeed occurring.
The letter in full, below, dated September 25th 2024:
Dear Prime Minister,
I refer to my letter of September 20th 2024 calling on the Government to immediately suspend the use of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 products due to the evidence of significant synthetic DNA contamination, as detailed in Dr. David Speicher’s report.
Unlike the Thalidomide tragedy, which resulted in over 10,000 victims globally, the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to more than 20 million Australians, totalling over 63 million doses. The contamination detected in these vaccines, if not addressed, presents a substantial risk, with the potential for these dangers – such as genomic integration and potential long-term health impacts – to multiply with each additional dose administered. Immediate action through a suspension of these products is critical to mitigate further risk.
To assist in adopting a precautionary approach and minimising further harm, I enclose a Science Summary created and endorsed by eminent Australian and international scientists and medical experts. The summary reinforces the known and potential dangers of DNA contamination and highlights the need for an urgent and independent investigation. As advised by the co-signatories, the Department of Health and Aged Care has produced no evidence to demonstrate why the detected DNA contamination will not produce the dire adverse health outcomes detailed in the Science Summary.
Additionally, I have reason to believe that multiple attempts by prominent scientists to warn the TGA of these risks have been disregarded since early 2021, raising serious questions about the agency’s ability to protect the health and well-being of Australians.
Finally, I draw your attention to the Biosecurity Act 2015, which may now be relevant. Given the contamination evidence, I recommend the Minister for Agriculture initiate a Biosecurity Import Risk
Analysis of these products, potentially leading to the suspension of these products due to the risks they pose to human health.
I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the 52 co-signatories below in the preparation of this letter and reiterate my call seeking your urgent action to ensure the safety of all Australians.
Yours sincerely,
Russell Broadbent MP
Member for Monash
This is the second letter sent to the PM on the contamination issue by Broadbent, who is known for his advocacy for the Covid vaccine injured.
In the previous letter, sent to the PM on September 20th, Broadbent criticised the Department of Health (DOH) and the TGA for “ignoring repeated warnings by experts” over the synthetic DNA contamination, which was first detected by genomics scientist Kevin McKernan in early 2023. McKernan’s findings were subsequently replicated by scientists in Germany, the U.S., Canada and most recently Australia, by Dr. David Speicher.
Broadbent’s office advised that no response to either letter had been received from the office of the Prime Minister, the DOH or the TGA at the time of publication.
Broadbent, who lost his preselection for the Liberal Party (conservative) last year and resigned from the party soon after to become independent, was the only federal MP from a major party to publicly declare that he would not take a Covid vaccine during the rollout.
The MP has since come out as a strong critic of Australia’s No Jab No Pay legislation, which he says “creates new layers of inequity and exclusion” by withholding family and childcare benefits from parents whose children are not vaccinated according to the full childhood schedule.
Broadbent is urging Australians to share the letter, the scientific summary and Dr. Speicher’s report with their federal Member of Parliament.