The DNA contamination problem just got bigger
A new preprint reveals that DNA fragments in Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine carry bacterial marks capable of supercharging inflammation—evidence that residual DNA risks go far beyond genomic integration.
The story of mRNA vaccines has taken another disturbing turn.
Genomics researcher Kevin McKernan, who first discovered excessive residual DNA in Covid-19 vaccine vials, has now found something even more alarming.
In a new preprint, McKernan reports that DNA fragments contaminating Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine carry chemical signatures that could supercharge inflammation in the human body.
Until now, most concern about residual DNA has focused on the low risk of genomic integration — the possibility that DNA fragments might insert themselves into human genes and alter them.
That rare risk remains serious, but McKernan’s new data point to a more immediate problem.
Even without entering the nucleus, these fragments could trigger potent immune reactions inside cells, driving inflammation, tissue damage — even tumour growth.
Because mRNA injections remain on the market worldwide, the finding raises urgent questions about quality control, regulatory oversight, and the long-term biological consequences of this technology.
Let’s dive into the detail
McKernan analysed a Pfizer vial (lot FL8095) using advanced methods to detect methylation patterns — chemical marks on DNA that influence how it behaves inside cells.