NPR: A Coronavirus Vaccine Could Kill Half A Million Sharks, Conservationists Warn

Many potential Covid-19 vaccines utilize oil from sharks called squalene. It is taken from shark livers and typically used as a moisturizing ingredient in cosmetics and as an immune system booster in flu and malaria vaccines. Conservationists warn that if the coronavirus vaccine with squalene is effective, around 500,000 sharks could be killed. There are alternatives to this compound such as olive oil, sugar cane, wheat germ, and yeast, but harvesting from the sharks is the cheapest and most bountiful way to retrieve the compound. Read the full article here.