Name: 500,000 sharks could be killed for use in coronavirus vaccine
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500,000 sharks could be killed for use in coronavirus vaccine

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Half a million sharks could be slaughtered to obtain an ingredient used in coronavirus vaccines, conservationists have warned.Squalene, a natural oil made in the liver of sharks, is being used in some of the Covid-19 vaccines underway. The substance is currently used in medicine as an adjuvant – an ingredient that increases the effectiveness of vaccines by creating a stronger immune response.British drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline currently uses shark squalene in&nbsp;flu vaccines, and said it would manufacture a billion doses of the substance for potential use in&nbsp;covid jabs&nbsp;in May.It takes around 3,000 sharks to extract one tonne of squalene.According to Shark Allies, a California-based conservation group, around 250,000 sharks would have to be killed to provide the world’s population with one dose of a covid vaccine containing the liver oil.Researchers have said it’s likely two doses will be needed to immunise the global population – which would increase the number of sharks required to half a million.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.‘There’s so many unknowns of how big and how long this pandemic might go on, and then how many versions of it we have to go through, that if we continue using sharks, the numbers of sharks taken for this product could be really high, year after year after year.’Conservationists estimate that around three million sharks are killed every year for squalene, which is also used in cosmetics and machine oil.Scientists are testing a synthetic version of squalene, made from fermented sugar cane, in an attempt to protect shark populations.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at&nbsp;.For more stories like this,&nbsp;.Not convinced?Get us in your feed

Half a million sharks could be slaughtered to obtain an ingredient used in coronavirus vaccines, conservationists have warned.Squalene, a natural oil made in the liver of sharks, is being used in some of the Covid-19 vaccines underway. The substance is currently used in medicine as an adjuvant – an ingredient that increases the effectiveness of vaccines by creating a stronger immune response.British drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline currently uses shark squalene in&nbsp;flu vaccines, and said it would manufacture a billion doses of the substance for potential use in&nbsp;covid jabs&nbsp;in May.It...

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500,000 sharks could be killed for use in coronavirus vaccine

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