As the worldwide race to find a COVID-19 vaccine continues, one conservation group worries 500,000 sharks could die as a result of the process.
Shark Allies says squalene, a compound harvested from shark liver oil, is used in many vaccines as an adjuvant to boost their effectiveness. And while all people, animals, and plants produce the substance, the group says, “Squalene made from shark liver oil is used most commonly because it is cheap to obtain and easy to come by, not because it is more effective than other sources.”
