Some activists oppose the use of squalene from sharks for the development of Covid-19 vaccines. However, the issue has been exaggerated by YouTubers, distorting the truth.
At the end of 2020, the wildlife protection organization Shark Allies protested against the development of Covid-19 vaccines that rely on shark-derived oil. They even claimed that approximately 500,000 sharks could be killed if the Covid-19 vaccine contains squalene from sharks and is effective.
Many “reaction” videos based on this information were uploaded to YouTube, garnering millions of views. Some of these channel owners did not hesitate to assert that sharks could go extinct after the pandemic.
However, according to shark expert Catherine Macdonald’s comments to the New York Times, the reality is not as dire. The popular Covid-19 vaccines today, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Moderna, do not contain squalene.
Sharks are not going extinct due to Covid-19 vaccines. (Photo: SharkAllies).
Squalene is a compound extracted from shark liver. It is also a common ingredient found in cosmetics. Currently, squalene is used as an adjuvant in medicine, enhancing the effectiveness of vaccines by eliciting a stronger immune response.
Stefanie Brendl, founder and CEO of Shark Allies, believes that relying on shark squalene in Covid-19 vaccine trials is shortsighted and hopes that this will be replaced with alternative methods.
The organization particularly highlights vaccines funded by GlaxoSmithKline and Seqirus. Some other Covid-19 vaccines developed by Sanofi, Medicago, and Clover Biopharmaceuticals also contain squalene. These companies all collaborate with GlaxoSmithKline.
However, Dr. Catherine Macdonald, a shark biologist, states that there are over 500 species of sharks worldwide, varying in size, weight, and squalene content. Therefore, the number of sharks needed to provide enough doses of vaccine containing squalene could range widely.
Additionally, Saad Omer, a vaccine research expert at Yale University, mentioned that not all Covid-19 vaccines contain squalene.
“If all vaccines contained squalene, then those being vaccinated would have to wait a very long time,” Omer explained.
According to documents published by the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI), all three popular Covid-19 vaccines today—AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Moderna—do not contain squalene. Therefore, individuals allergic to this component can receive the vaccine without concern for reactions.
In reality, between 63 million and 273 million sharks die each year, and squalene is harvested from at least a few million of them. However, apart from squalene harvesting, many sharks are caught for other purposes such as meat, fins, or simply for fishing.
Overall, to answer the question of whether sharks will go extinct due to Covid-19 vaccines, the answer is no. Scientists are still researching alternative adjuvants besides shark squalene. This compound is also found in various plants such as olive oil, sugarcane, and rice…
“We should not criticize those who are trying to save our lives from Covid-19 as they have much work to do,” shared Jasmin Graham, a shark biologist in Florida.
