133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
09 November 2023
Nikita Mahendra
[FYI request #24493 email]
Tēnā koe Nikita
Response to your Official Information Act request
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to Manatū Hauora
(the Ministry of Health) on 21 October 2023 requesting information regarding the COVID-19
vaccine. You asked:
“Do you have any report or study to prove the covid 19 mrna injections are free from DNA
plasmids and SV40?”
Medsafe is aware of claims that mRNA vaccines contain ‘excessive levels of DNA’ encapsulated
in lipid nanoparticles, and the claim that this presents a safety risk. These seem to arise following
a pre-print publication by Kevin McKernan et al. Preprint publications have not yet undergone a
thorough review and critical analysis by scientific peers.
This claim has been rejected by the scientific community at large. In response to the publication
preprint and associated claims, experts have noted that to date, claims that COVID-19 mRNA
vaccines can alter DNA in people lack a biologically plausible mechanism to explain how this
would happen. Further, they note that neither the preprint by McKernan et al. nor the other
studies cited in the article provided evidence for the claim that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines contain
significant DNA contamination or that the vaccines can alter DNA in people.
Regarding Comirnaty, release testing according to registered specifications is conducted on
every batch of Comirnaty prior to release. The amount of residual DNA is controlled with an
appropriately chosen and qualified specification limit for DNA, tested via qPCR; only batches that
meet this specification are released.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel free
to contact the OIA Services Team
on: [email address].
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions
made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Chris James
Group Manager Medsafe
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