Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41390528›Full record

ArticleNPJ vaccines2025

Systematic analysis of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines using four orthogonal approaches demonstrates no excessive DNA impurities.

Adam Achs, Tatiana Sedlackova, Lukas Predajna, Jaroslav Budis, Maria Bartosova, Vladimir Zelnik, Diana Rusnakova, Martina Melichercikova, Marta Miklosova, Veronika Gencurova and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in NPJ vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Adam AchsBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Tatiana SedlackovaComenius University Science Park, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Lukas PredajnaBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Jaroslav BudisComenius University Science Park, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Maria BartosovaBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Vladimir ZelnikBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Biotechnological and Analytical Laboratories, Sarisske Michalany, Slovakia.
Diana RusnakovaComenius University Science Park, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Martina MelichercikovaBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Marta MiklosovaBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Biotechnological and Analytical Laboratories, Sarisske Michalany, Slovakia.
Veronika GencurovaBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Biotechnological and Analytical Laboratories, Sarisske Michalany, Slovakia.
Barbora CernakovaBiomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Biotechnological and Analytical Laboratories, Sarisske Michalany, Slovakia.
Tomas Szemes *Comenius University Science Park, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Boris Klempa *Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Juraj Kopacek *Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Silvia Pastorekova *Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Virology, Bratislava, Slovakia. silvia.pastorekova@savba.sk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite substantial evidence for benefits of vaccination in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of mRNA vaccines faces skepticism built on coincidental health events occurring after vaccination without proven causality. One of the claims regarding excessive amounts of residual DNA from the vaccine manufacturing process has arisen from misinterpretation of improperly conducted analyses. Here, we assessed the quantity, quality and identity of residual DNA in mRNA vaccines based on thoroughly performed and properly interpreted orthogonal methods, including qPCR, fluorometry, capillary electrophoresis and short-read DNA sequencing. Our results show that the quantity of residual DNA in all 15 analysed batches of Comirnaty and Spikevax vaccines is below approved limits and that it consists of small fragments originating from the template used to transcribe mRNA during vaccine production. We demonstrate that reliable mRNA vaccine analysis for DNA impurities requires rigorous application of well-controlled methods that minimise mutual interference of vaccine components.

Identifiers

PMID41390528
PMCPMC12715226

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.