COVID Plasmid DNA from Pfizer COVID Vaccine Manufacturing

  • Thread starter Thread starter .Scott
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
Phillip Buckhaults, PhD, addressed the South Carolina Senate regarding DNA fragments found in Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine batches, which are from plasmids used in manufacturing but not in early study batches. His 34-minute presentation highlighted that DNA levels are near regulatory limits, with some batches exceeding them. He noted that this DNA is encapsulated in lipids, raising concerns about current FDA regulations that do not adequately address this issue. Buckhaults also detected lower levels of DNA in Moderna vaccines. He called for further investigation into whether plasmid DNA has integrated into the genomes of vaccinated individuals and urged the FDA to mandate the removal of DNA from future mRNA vaccines. While he supports COVID vaccination, his findings have sparked discussions among skeptics and anti-vaccine advocates. The full address is available on the South Carolina Senate website.
.Scott
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Messages
3,750
Reaction score
1,832
TL;DR Summary
Dr. Buckhault using his own funds and with assistance from USC students and facilities, took advantage of the opportunity to check mRNA vaccine batches for DNA fragments. He found them and his concerns, taken at face value, seem valid and reasonable to me.
Last week, Phillip Buckhaults, PhD addressed the South Carolina Senate on the subject of DNA fragments the USC lab has found in batches of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. Those fragments are from plasmids used by Pfizer in the large-scale manufacturing of their vaccine - but not in the early batches used in their early studies.

His address was about 34 minutes in length and is included in a "News Break" news article.

His study was ad hoc and he does not believe his finding rise to the quality level of peer-review publication.

Dr. Buckhaults is a professor at the University of South Carolina. His lab research has focused on "Determining biochemical mechanisms by which germline variants contribute to cancer health disparities that exist between people of different ethnic ancestries" and "Using genome sequencing and functional genomics to develop novel personalized medicine approaches to treat colon cancer".

He said that the DNA levels in the Pfizer vaccine batches are near the regulatory limit - in some batches a bit over. But the DNA is encapsulated in lipids and those limits are not appropriately addressed in the FD regulations. He also found DNA in the Moderna vaccine, but at lower levels.

His conclusions (from his PowerPoint):
We should check a bunch of vaccinated people to see if plasmid DNA has integrated into their genomic DNA.
We (you [government]) should insist that the USFDA force Pfizer to get the DNA out of the booster and all future mRNA based vaccines.
The regulation that allowed the DNA to be there should be changed. It's a leftover from previous vaccines that contained only naked DNA. The mRNA vaccines have this DNA encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle delivery system (trojan horse) and so the DNA is a far more serious issue.
...

I very much expect that this will become an unavoidable public conversation.
Although Dr. Buckhaults is supportive of COVID vaccination, and expressed his support in his address, I have already seen postings that are using his address to argue against the programs - in terms we are probably all well-familiar with.
 
Last edited:
Biology news on Phys.org
We were having a brief conversation about this earlier this week. It's definitely fuel for any anti vaxxers to get carried away with until more information is determined.

Meanwhile, while it gave excuse for a few to complain about why their own (intentional) transfections weren't working lol.
 
Deadly cattle screwworm parasite found in US patient. What to know. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/08/25/new-world-screwworm-human-case/85813010007/ Exclusive: U.S. confirms nation's first travel-associated human screwworm case connected to Central American outbreak https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-confirms-nations-first-travel-associated-human-screwworm-case-connected-2025-08-25/...
Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times, "Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S.", and "Kissing bugs bring deadly disease to California". LA Times requires a subscription. Related article -...
I am reading Nicholas Wade's book A Troublesome Inheritance. Please let's not make this thread a critique about the merits or demerits of the book. This thread is my attempt to understanding the evidence that Natural Selection in the human genome was recent and regional. On Page 103 of A Troublesome Inheritance, Wade writes the following: "The regional nature of selection was first made evident in a genomewide scan undertaken by Jonathan Pritchard, a population geneticist at the...

Similar threads

Back
Top