Half a million sharks may be slaughtered to produce coronavirus vaccine

Half a million sharks face slaughter as drug companies try to produce a coronavirus vaccine using squalene from their livers. According to The Sun, Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline already uses shark squalene in its adjuvant- a substance that is used to create a stronger immune response in flu vaccines.

Back in May, the company stated they would manufacture a billion doses of the shark-based adjuvant for use in COVID-19 vaccines.

US based campaign group Shark Allies said that it could “spell disaster for sharks and humans” and could push vulnerable species to the brink of extinction.

3,000 dead sharks are required to make a ton of squalene. Conservationists have estimated that 250,000 sharks would need to be culled to provide 1 dose of a coronavirus vaccine to the worlds population, doubling to half a million shark deaths if 2 vaccines are required.

The reason plant-based squalene is not used is simply down to cost- plant-based squalene is approximately 30 cent more expensive that shark squalene.

The group has an online petition to stop scientists from using the shark livers to produce the COVID-19 vaccine.