Congress Warned About DNA Fragments in Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Syringes and vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be administered at a drive-up vaccination site in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 17, 2020. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Members of Congress on Nov. 13 were warned during a hearing about the DNA fragments that have been detected in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Robert Malone, who helped invent the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology that the companies used for the shot, was among the witnesses testifying to a hearing in Washington convened by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

The vaccine includes a DNA sequence called Simian Virus 40 (SV40) that was not disclosed to at least some regulators. The sequence leaves behind residual DNA that could cause problems, Dr. Malone told the hearing.

“That’s a proven genotoxicity risk,” he said.

There’s a possibility the fragments are causing the unusual types of cancers that have appeared following the rollout of the vaccines, he added later.

“I speculate that what we may find is that the cancer risk here may be partially attributed to these DNA contaminations; that would be consistent with the peer reviewed literature,” Dr. Malone said. “And by the way, these DNA fragments may also be shown to contribute to genetic anomalies in fetus[es], which is one of the most prominent causes of premature abortion.”

Dr. Kimberly Biss, an obstetrician-gynecologist, told the hearing she was also worried about the impact of the vaccines on unborn children, given how miscarriages have risen among her patients.

Dr. Malone previously said that the inclusion of the sequence means the vaccine is adulterated and should be recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA told The Epoch Times that “no safety concerns related to the sequence of, or amount of, residual DNA have been identified” and that the regulator would not be recalling the shot.

It remains unclear whether the FDA has conducted any testing to back up its position. The FDA declined to answer many questions about the sequence, including when it learned about it and from whom.

Both Health Canada and the European Medicines Agency have said that Pfizer and BioNTech did not highlight the inclusion of the sequence when submitting paperwork.

“The rules are that you don’t draw conclusions without data,” Dr. Malone said. “Normally, historically, one has to perform rigorous genotoxicity and insertional mutagenesis assays,” but there’s no evidence the FDA performed those tests or ordered the companies to perform them.

Pfizer and BioNTech have not responded to requests for comment.

Dr. Malone on his blog has pointed out that in a Moderna patent, Moderna said that directly injecting DNA into living hosts comes with “potential problems, including the possibility of insertional mutagenesis, which could lead to the activation of oncogenes or the inhibition of tumor suppressor genes.”

Some other outside doctors have said they are concerned the fragments left behind could trigger issues.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speaks to reporters in Washington on Oct. 12, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

“Plasmid DNA is a low but non-zero risk for insertional mutagenesis of normal stem cells,” Phillip Buckhaults, a professor at the University of South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, this week.

“I have transfected billions of cells with DNA fragments during my career and I have an informed intuitive sense (based on data and experience) for the in vivo cancer risks posed by low level DNA contamination in these products,” he wrote. “I suspect the risk is similar to smoking and lung cancer or excessive sun exposure and melanoma. The risk is concerning enough to study and minimize.”

Mr. Buckhaults is one of the scientists who tested vials of the vaccine and detected the DNA.

That testing by independent scientists prompted Health Canada to confirm the presence of the sequence, the agency told The Epoch Times.

Lawmakers Weigh In

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) during the hearing said that he’s spoken with constituents who broke down and cried because they were forced to get vaccinated to keep their jobs.

“They were compelled to take this vaccine. And they were very concerned about the effects,” he said, before asking Dr. Malone about whether the vaccine leaves behind “a persistent marker.”

Dr. Malone noted that testing has found the modified mRNA remains in the body for weeks or even months and said that, owing to a lack of testing by regulators, “we don’t know precisely how long these products remain in your body.”

Mr. Davidson said that he thinks what happened during the pandemic shows how the House of Representatives should form a committee to focus on health care.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said he’s concerned by the idea that many people who were injured by the COVID-19 vaccines may not know they were injured because of issues such as blood clots that can have other causes.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) lamented how two top FDA officials, Marion Gruber and Dr. Philip Krause, left the agency during the pandemic over the FDA’s rushed approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

“The triggering event—and I’ve talked to both of them—is when they were forced to approve something using methods that were political in nature, reasoning that was political in nature, instead of scientific in nature,” Mr. Massie said.

If those experts remained in place, “we would have caught some of these things,” he said.

Ms. Greene said that she sees a need for accountability and transparency when it comes to the vaccines.

“This is in my opinion, the worst thing that’s ever happened to our country in my lifetime in the world, and the government’s role cannot be denied,” she said as she closed the hearing. “And I share all your sentiment as well as most Americans that are outraged and angered and continue to be angered over the fact that no one has ever been held accountable.”

She said she will hold additional hearings in the future and sees support growing among colleagues.