Petition urges FDA, other bodies to stop using sharks in COVID-19 vaccines
Despite existing alternatives, squalene made from sharks is commonly used because it is readily available and is often cheap, rather than due to its effectiveness.
By AARON REICHDusky Shark swiming in the sea(photo credit: HAGAI NETIV/MORRIS KHAN STATION FOR SEA EXPLORATION IN HAIFA UNIVERSITY)
Amid the ongoing rush to have a coronavirus vaccine ready for public use as soon as possible, activists have created a petition calling on US, UK, EU and Chinese health bodies to stop using sharks for vaccines.Started by Shark Allies, an activist group dedicated to protecting and conserving sharks and rays, the petition takes issue with the usage of squalene, which is a primary ingredient in many adjuvants to boost vaccine efficacy.According to the petition, nearly 30% of the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized coronavirus vaccine candidates that use adjuvants use ones based on shark squalene.Squalene made from sharks is commonly used because it is readily available and is often cheap, rather than due to its effectiveness.Continued use of squalene in vaccines "could spell potential disaster for sharks and humans since this resource is neither sustainable nor reliable for the mass production of a COVID-19 vaccine," the petition states."Shark squalene production requires relying on a finite, wild animal population. Most shark species are already at critical levels and will not withstand an increase in demand for a global vaccine. Countries producing shark squalene may soon need the oil for their own vaccine."The petition further raises the point of how feasible it could be to keep up the supply of squalee, as the demand caused by the global pandemic has created a scale that is unprecedented, in addition to concerns over the inability to properly maintain quality control over squalene due to it primarily coming from countries with poor regulations for fisheries and fish oil production. As such, the petition urges vaccine developers to use a sustainable and reliable alternative.It is possible, the petition explains, to produce squalene from other sources, as its chemical structure (C30H50) is identical in alternative sources. Sustainable alternatives to sharks include yeast, different types of bacteria, olive oil and sugarcane. One sugarcane-based squalene developer in California has even gone on record that in just one month, they could produce enough squalene for 1 billion vaccine doses.The petition, which can be seen on Change.org, has amassed over 8,000 signatures at the time of writing.
