American lawyer and doctor Richard M. Fleming published a study on May 13 concerning mRNA vaccines, co-authored by Czech molecular biologist Soňa Peková and Slovak government envoy Peter Kotlár. The study claimed to analyze DNA content in vaccines, with Kotlár asserting for months that mRNA vaccines could alter human DNA and calling for a ban on Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna products. However, infectious disease expert Peter Sabaka refuted these claims, saying the study showed only “very low and acceptable levels of DNA, as stated by the manufacturers.”
Sabaka emphasized that the study did not prove mRNA vaccines could change human DNA, nor was that its main focus. He clarified, “Even if there were higher DNA levels in the vaccines—which there aren’t—that wouldn’t mean it could enter the cell nucleus and alter the genome.” He noted that globally, millions of mRNA vaccines have been administered with no confirmed DNA alterations.
The study was published on Herald Scholarly Open Access, which Sabaka criticized as a “predatory Indian journal” not indexed in reputable scientific databases like PubMed or SCOPUS. He pointed to the unusually fast peer-review timeline—just 11 days—as evidence of a superficial review process, suggesting the journal publishes questionable content for a fee, undermining scientific rigor.
Sabaka also questioned the credibility of the authors: Fleming has a criminal record in the U.S. for scientific fraud, and Peková has a history of promoting conspiracy theories. “Publishing in such a journal damages the credibility of Mr. Kotlár’s position and disqualifies him in the eyes of the professional and scientific community,” Sabaka concluded.
Source: STVR
