Horseshoe crabs, “living fossils” essential to produce the vaccine against Covid-19

Published on : 01/07/2022 – 18:54

Every spring, hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs, a species older than the dinosaurs, come to breed on the beaches of Delaware Bay, on the East Coast of the United States. Horseshoe crabs are vital in ensuring that vaccines given to humans are safe. Their blood is used by the biotechnology industry in a test that helps ensure that a vaccine, including that against Covid-19, is not contaminated with toxic bacteria.