About five lakh sharks could be killed for their natural oil to be used in production of COVID-19 vaccines, conservationists have warned.
Shark Allies, a California-based conservation group, suggests that squalene – a natural compound originally obtained from shark liver oil – is used in some adjuvants that enhance the body's immune response to an antigen.
Adjuvants, or immune response-boosting substances, are a common component of vaccines as they increase its efficacy. Many vaccines, including those against other coronaviruses such as H1N1, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and influenza, have seen usage of squalene.
According to Euro News, about 2,500-3,000 sharks would be required to extract one tonne of squalene. The conservation group estimates that 2.5 lakh sharks would be required -- depending on the amount of squalene used -- if the entire global population is to be vaccinated. If every person is to receive two doses of the vaccine, the number would double to five lakh.
The organisation has also launched an online petition asking pharmaceuticals to stop using sharks for development of COVID-19 vaccines and use existing “non-animal squalene” options instead.
“Why would a company choose to use shark-derived squalene in their adjuvants, over sustainable plant-based alternatives? The only answer we can see is cost. Plant-based squalene is approximately 30 percent more expensive than shark squalene. One of the reasons shark squalene is cheaper is because of the ease of extraction of squalene from the shark,” Shark Allies claims.
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