You probably don't know it but one ingredient used in some COVID-19 vaccine candidates is squalene - a natural oil made in the liver of sharks. That means an estimated half a million sharks could be killed to get the stuff according to conservationists.
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 and 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 ton of squalene. However, scientists are testing an alternative to squalene, a synthetic version made from fermented sugar cane. According to estimates made by conservationists, around three million sharks are killed every year for squalene, which is also used in cosmetics and machine oil. There are fears that a sudden rise in demand for the liver oil could threaten populations and see more species become endangered as many species-rich in squalene, such as the gulper shark, are already vulnerable.
Source: Sky News