'COVID-19 Vaccine DNA Alteration' Conspiracy Theory... US Pharmacist Contaminates 500 Doses

Last Month Moderna Vaccine Exposed to Room Temperature

Steven Brandenburg [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] A pharmacist in the United States was arrested on charges of contaminating a quantity of COVID-19 vaccine sufficient for hundreds of doses, claiming that the vaccine would cause mutations in human DNA.

According to the Associated Press on the 4th (local time), the Grafton Police Department in Wisconsin recently arrested local pharmacist Steven Brandenburg (46) on charges of contaminating 57 bottles of the Moderna vaccine. It is reported that these bottles contained enough vaccine for more than 500 people.

The medical organization 'Advocate Aurora Healthcare (AAH)', to which Brandenburg belongs, explained that he took the vaccine out of the medical facility refrigerator on the nights of the 24th and 25th of last month and left it at room temperature overnight. Afterwards, he put the vaccine back in the refrigerator but again exposed it to room temperature on the night of the 25th to 26th. The Moderna vaccine can only be used within 12 hours after being taken out at room temperature.

When this incident was discovered on the 26th of the same month, Brandenburg excused himself by saying he forgot to put the vaccine back after removing items inside the refrigerator. However, during the police investigation, he stated that he intentionally contaminated the vaccine because he believed it would cause mutations in human DNA and harm people.

The police stated in the arrest warrant that Brandenburg is a conspiracy theorist. Brandenburg strongly believed that the entire world was collapsing and that the COVID-19 vaccine would alter human DNA. These conspiracy theories spread online, but experts say there is no basis for such claims, according to the AP.

The Ozaukee County prosecutor, where Grafton is located, revealed that Brandenburg was also in a confusing situation as he was in the middle of a divorce lawsuit with his wife of eight years. According to a statement submitted by his wife, Brandenburg visited her house on the 6th, leaving a water purifier and 30 days’ worth of food. She testified that at the time, he said the whole world was collapsing, the government was planning a cyberattack, and power supply would be cut off.

The Ozaukee County prosecutor explained that Moderna must verify whether the vaccine exposed to room temperature was actually contaminated, and that Brandenburg has not yet been formally charged.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.