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Coronavirus: Half a million sharks 'could be killed for vaccine', experts warn
Sep 27, 2020
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
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
The company said it would manufacture a billion doses of this adjuvant for potential use in
Around 3,000 sharks are needed to extract one tonne of squalene.
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 immunise the global population, which is likely according to researchers, this would increase to half a million.
To avoid threatening shark populations, scientists are testing an alternative to squalene - a synthetic version made from fermented sugar cane.
Stefanie Brendl, founder and executive director of Shark Allies, said: "Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it's a top predator that doesn't reproduce in huge numbers.
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