Wildlife experts claim that in order to find a COVID-19 vaccine, half a million sharks could be killed for the much-anticipated jab.
This is because a natural oil made in the liver of sharks called squalene is used medicine and is also used as an adjuvant to increase the effectiveness of a vaccine. Also, it is now being used in trial vaccines for the COVID-19.
As said by conservationist group Shark Allies, it is believed that around 250,000 sharks will need to be slaughtered if a drug that contains squalene passes and goes into production across the world in order to provide one dose for each person.
That figure will be doubled and became dire if people need two shots instead of one to fully vaccinate against COVID-19.
Founder and executive director of Shark Allies, Stefanie Brendl 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,”.
In a Facebook post, she added, “We are not trying to slow down or hinder the production of a vaccine.
“We simply ask that testing of non-animal derived squalene is conducted alongside shark squalene so it can be replaced as soon as possible.
“At billions of doses needed per year, for decades to come, it is critical that we don’t rely on a wild animal resource. It can be detrimental to shark species that are hunted for their oil, and it is not a reliable supply chain,”.
An online petition had been set up by the group named ‘Stop Using Sharks in COVID-19 Vaccine – use EXISTING Sustainable Options’. The target for signature was 10,000 and now have reached 9,500.
Source: Mirror