The Claim:
The Surgeon General of Florida has issued a statement warning that mRNA vaccines are unsafe and should be recalled.
The Facts:
A promoter gene (a DNA sequence that starts RNA transcription) that has been found to promote a high level of gene expression for producing proteins has been used in DNA vaccines. While promoters are used in the manufacturing of mRNA vaccines, they are not considered an ingredient in the vaccines as the vast majority of it is removed during production. Some residual amounts are left, however, and this is what is tested when looking for DNA.
The Surgeon General, citing a Canadian preprint paper, raised concerns about the high levels of DNA molecules in mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which he claims exceed FDA and WHO guidelines. This paper acknowledges that one study limitation is the “unknown provenance of the vaccine vials under study.” The authors also note that the vaccines arrived without proper cold chain processes and were all expired.
The authors obtained and tested “24 unopened expired vials” and “three vials of in-date remnants.” As mRNA degrades much faster than DNA, especially when held in suboptimal conditions, any proportion of trace amounts of DNA used in manufacturing would be amplified in expired vials, as these were, or ones not held in optimal conditions.
This advisory portion was based on the experiences of an anti-vaccine Florida internist. He claims side effects in his patients after vaccination, including anaphylactic reactions, blood pressure issues, and the development of conditions like POTS and blood clots.
COVID vaccines, like anything else you put in your body, can cause allergic and anaphylactic reactions. And some people feel lightheaded after vaccination because of the poke. And while there may be some rare associations with POTS, people suffering from COVID are much more likely to develop the condition.
Anti-vaccine activists have used prior concerns about a particular type of blood clot associated with adenovirus vector vaccines. mRNA vaccines, like Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have a minimal risk of blood clots, unlike COVID itself, which significantly increases the risk of blood clots and stroke.
Dr. Paul Offit explains that it’s virtually impossible for DNA fragments in COVID mRNA vaccines to cause harm, such as cancers or autoimmune diseases. He outlines three protective mechanisms in our cells that prevent these DNA fragments from causing harm: the cytoplasm’s immune mechanisms and enzymes destroy foreign DNA; the DNA fragments lack a necessary signal to enter the nucleus; and they also lack the integrase enzyme needed to integrate into our DNA There is no scientific evidence or plausible mechanism suggesting that these DNA fragments would alter our genome.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved since this was originally posted. Browse the latest information posted in Just the Facts Topics.
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