Sep 28, 2020 |
Sky News – Half a million sharks could be killed for their natural oil to produce coronavirus vaccines, according to conservationists.
One ingredient used in some COVID-19 vaccine candidates is squalene, a natural oil made in the liver of sharks.
Squalene is currently used as an adjuvant in medicine – an ingredient that increases the effectiveness of a vaccine by creating a stronger immune response.
British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline currently uses shark squalene in flu vaccines.
The company said it would manufacture a billion doses of this adjuvant for potential use in coronavirus vaccines in May.
Shark Allies, a California-based group, suggests that if the world’s population received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine containing the liver oil, around 250,000 sharks would need to be slaughtered, depending on the amount of squalene used.
If two doses are needed to immunize the global population, which is likely according to researchers, this would increase to half a million … Read more.
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