Coronavirus: Half a million sharks 'could be killed for vaccine', experts warn

[Shiloh]

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...d-be-killed-for-vaccine-experts-warn-12083167


Coronavirus: Half a million sharks 'could be killed for vaccine', experts warn
Sharks produce squalene, a natural oil made in their livers, which is an ingredient in several COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
By Aisha Zahid, news reporter
Sunday 27 September 2020 13:54, UK

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.

Around 3,000 sharks are needed to extract one tonne of squalene...

 

[JJackson]

Each dose of vaccine is likely to use .01g of squalene so a billion doses would require 10[SUP]7[/SUP]g or 10 tonnes or 30,000 sharks so I am not sure where the half a million comes from. Squalene is also produce in engineered plant and animal cells so hopefully the unnecessary slaughter of sharks can be avoided. The biggest problem for the sharks is the use of their fins in Chinese traditional medicine and cuisine where vast numbers are caught killed and thrown back overboard in East African waters, once de-finned.
I note on Amazon you can by various shark liver oil capsules, which claim to prevent skin aging, one jar I looked at contained capsule containing 1g each of squalene (180caps/jar) so each jar has 18,000 vaccine doses worth of squalene being used for dubious benefit. The manufacture sourced their sharks in New Zealand.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Squalene seems to be an important nutrient for animals and humans (your eyes). And used in cosmetics. Another source besides sharks is oliveoil. Squalene is filtered out before you can buy your oil.