Could albumin neurotoxins like Botox contain mRNA from vaccinated people? Is it unsafe?

Question

Do you know if neurotoxins such as botox, dysprt etc that use albumin could contain mRNA from vaccinated people? Is it unsafe? I can’t find anything about this? I’d think people would want to know.

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

Neurotoxins like Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) and Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) are commonly used for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. These products contain purified botulinum toxin and, in some formulations, human serum albumin as a stabilizing agent.

To address your question:

Presence of mRNA: There is no scientific basis or mechanism by which mRNA from vaccinated individuals could be present in botulinum toxin products. These products are manufactured under strict regulatory standards and undergo rigorous purification processes to ensure their safety and efficacy. The production of Botox and similar neurotoxins is entirely separate from vaccine production processes, and they do not contain mRNA.

Safety: The safety of botulinum toxin products is well-established when used as directed by a qualified healthcare professional. The inclusion of human serum albumin in these formulations is standard and has been deemed safe by regulatory agencies. Albumin is used as a stabilizer and does not pose a health risk related to mRNA or vaccination.

If you have concerns about the safety of any cosmetic or therapeutic procedure, it is best to discuss them with a board-certified dermatologist or medical professional. They can provide you with accurate information and address any specific concerns you may have.

Ella Fedonenko, MD · Answer

There is no feasible scientific explanation for mRNA from vaccinated individuals to end up in HSA(human serum albumin) used in Botox production. Additionally Botox production is completely unrelated to vaccine production.

Brian Rike, DO · Answer

Albumin neurotoxins like Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) use human serum albumin (HSA) as a stabilizer in their formulation. HSA is a protein derived from human blood plasma, typically sourced from donors, and it’s included to prevent the botulinum toxin from sticking to vial surfaces or degrading during storage. The question seems to hinge on whether this albumin could "contain mRNA" from people vaccinated against COVID-19 (or any mRNA vaccine) and whether that poses a safety risk.
First, the mRNA from vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna’s COVID-19 shots is synthetic, designed to instruct cells to produce a spike protein temporarily. It’s not naturally present in blood plasma, where albumin is found. After vaccination, mRNA degrades quickly&mdash;within hours to days&mdash;and doesn’t persist long-term in the body, let alone accumulate in plasma in a form that could be harvested. Blood donation screening and processing (like heat treatment and fractionation) further ensure that plasma-derived products like HSA are free of active biological contaminants, including RNA. So, the idea that HSA in Botox could "contain mRNA" from vaccinated donors lacks a plausible mechanism based on current science.
Even if trace mRNA somehow survived (which is highly unlikely), it wouldn’t be functional or transmissible in a neurotoxin injection. mRNA needs specific cellular machinery to work, and Botox is injected into muscle tissue, not cells primed to translate it. Plus, the purification process for HSA&mdash;rigorous and regulated&mdash;removes nucleic acids and other impurities. Studies on HSA safety, spanning decades of use in drugs and medical products, show no evidence of it carrying functional genetic material or causing issues tied to donor vaccination status.
On safety: Botox and similar neurotoxins (Dysport, Xeomin) have been used for years, with HSA as a common ingredient in most formulations (except Xeomin, which skips it). Adverse events are well-documented&mdash;think local reactions like bruising or rare cases of toxin spread&mdash;but there’s no data linking HSA in these products to vaccine-related risks. A 2023 review of HSA safety in botulinum toxins found serious adverse events to be extremely rare across millions of doses, unrelated to albumin itself. Post-COVID vaccination, no credible reports have emerged showing HSA-containing Botox becoming unsafe due to donor mRNA.
Could vaccination status of donors theoretically alter HSA in some other way? There’s no evidence it does. HSA’s role is structural, not immunological, and its production process strips away anything that could reflect a donor’s recent medical history. Some have speculated about immune responses or inflammation post-vaccination affecting Botox efficacy (e.g., a 2022 study noted shorter intervals between injections after mRNA vaccines), but that’s about the body’s reaction, not albumin content.
Bottom line: There’s no scientific basis to suggest albumin in Botox could contain mRNA from vaccinated people, nor that it would make it unsafe. The risk profile of Botox remains tied to the toxin itself&mdash;overdosing, improper injection&mdash;not the albumin. That said, if you’re skeptical. Daxxify which uses peptides instead of HSA and Xeomin’s albumin-free formula is an option.

Could albumin neurotoxins like Botox contain mRNA from vaccinated people? Is it unsafe?

Answers (3)

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