In a blistering letter to senior health leaders, Federal MP Russell Broadbent has accused the Australian government of wilful blindness over mounting evidence of DNA contamination in Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.
Broadbent slams the government’s repeated failure to engage with compelling scientific findings, instead offloading responsibility to officials lacking the necessary expertise.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Health Minister Mark Butler, and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) head Professor Lawler are among those criticised.
Government’s deflection and failure to engage
Broadbent’s letter denounces the government's latest response—delegated to Dr Lisa Kerr of the TGA—as yet another example of its ongoing pattern of evasion and misinformation.
Kerr’s response, he argues, fails to address crucial evidence submitted in previous correspondence, instead downplaying findings from leading experts.
Of particular concern is Kerr’s dismissal of research presented by genomics expert Kevin McKernan and Professor Phillip Buckhaults—evidence suggesting synthetic DNA fragments in the vaccines may integrate into human DNA and elevate cancer risks.
McKernan, a globally recognised genomics authority with over 28 years of experience and 57,000 citations, publicly dismantled Kerr’s response in an open letter, exposing what he described as fundamental misunderstandings, inaccuracies, and outright falsehoods.
Kerr has consistently misrepresented safety thresholds, falsely claimed the contamination would degrade rapidly, and dismissed peer-reviewed studies without substantive critique.
Further, she has demonstrated a lack of technical and scientific knowledge regarding mRNA technology.
Inadequate Testing
Broadbent’s letter highlights the TGA’s reliance on outdated testing methods, particularly qPCR, despite Moderna itself advising against its use for detecting plasmid DNA contamination.
This reliance violates international MIQE (Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments) guidelines, further undermining the credibility of the TGA’s assessments.
Crucially, findings from the FDA’s White Oak laboratory reported synthetic DNA contamination in Pfizer vaccine vials at levels between “6 and 470 times above permissible regulatory limits.”
Yet when asked if it had contacted the FDA in light of these findings or would conduct further testing, the TGA merely stated that the study "did not belong" to the FDA. Instead of addressing the evidence, the TGA responded dismissively:
“Your letters, Substack posts, and other social media presented to the TGA to refute the Statement do not outweigh the significant amount of information that shows the benefits of the approved vaccines far outweigh the possible risks.”
Even more damning is the fact that plasmid gene sequences have now been detected in the blood of 75 South Australian study participants, suggesting a widespread and ongoing health threat.
Broadbent’s letter warns that these dismissals not only show scientific ignorance but actively endanger public health.
“The suggestion that the contamination is inconsequential or not worth investigating demonstrates a lack of understanding about the potential for synthetic DNA to interact with human biology in ways that are known to have profound health implications,” the letter states.
Conflicts of Interest in the TGA
The letter also raises serious concerns about the TGA’s financial reliance on industry fees—96% of its operational budget comes from pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna.
Broadbent argues this regulatory model creates a glaring conflict of interest, calling into question the agency’s ability to act as an impartial watchdog.
He warns that the TGA’s refusal to act, despite repeated warnings, mirrors past regulatory failures such as the Thalidomide disaster, where early signs of harm were ignored until irreversible damage had occurred.
A Growing National Scandal
Broadbent demands immediate action:
- Independent Testing – The government must direct the TGA to conduct independent laboratory testing using validated methodologies from the FDA’s White Oak lab and independent international experts.
- Expert Review by the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee (GTTAC) – If contamination is confirmed, this specialised body should assess the risks of genomic integration and its long-term public health implications.
- Transparency and Accountability – Government officials must take responsibility rather than delegating responses to bureaucrats lacking expertise.
Broadbent warns the government “is fast becoming a national embarrassment and a public health disgrace.” He calls on Prime Minister Albanese to end the pattern of avoidance and take decisive action before the scandal escalates further.
With evidence piling up, how long can the government continue to look the other way?
Maryanne Demasi PHD