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The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) responds to a publication released in the HSOA Journal of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, co-authored by Peter Kotlár, the Slovak Government's Commissioner for the Review of Resource Management Processes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Slovak Academy of Sciences closely monitors attempts at repeated analysis of vaccines that have already been thoroughly examined multiple times. However, the methods described in the published article are insufficiently detailed, lacking controls, and do not clearly define the input quantities of materials. The claims presented are not compared with existing scientific knowledge or verified by alternative methods, which is essential given the seriousness of the presented findings.

The publication's title suggests a quantitative analysis, yet the results are not compared with prescribed and strictly regulated quantitative limits for residual DNA. Instead, only estimated molecule counts are presented, which may be misleading. The strong conclusions drawn are not supported by sufficiently robust data.

The scientific shortcomings of the mentioned publication reflect the fact that the journal in which it was published is classified as a so-called predatory journal. This particular journal fails to meet even the basic quality criteria: it is not indexed in recognized databases, has an extremely short peer-review process with unclear review procedures, and lacks defined standards for presenting results and methodologies.

The Slovak Academy of Sciences strictly condemns publishing in predatory journals and emphasizes that such publications bring no value and are irrelevant to the scientific community, medical practice, or the general public.

Text: Presidium SAS

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