Government slammed for delay in monkeypox vaccination

The infection with monkeypox in Switzerland seemsto have peaked with just over 500 incidents in September. Keystone / Klaus Titzer

The umbrella group for gays and bisexuals, Pink Cross, has criticised the Swiss government for failing to sign contracts to procure a vaccine against monkeypox.

Roman Heggli, Pink Cross executive director, said it’s incomprehensible that the authorities have still not signed a contract for 40,000 vaccine doses as agreed by the government six weeks ago.

The Federal Office of Public Health said it is in negotiations with the manufacturers of a vaccine and of a medical drug. It could take time as the conditions had to be examined and accepted by all parties involved, it added.

The office declined to give an approximate date by which the vaccine doses can be delivered.

Heggli said it was frustrating for people at risk of the disease to have to wait for the vaccination in Switzerland even though other countries in the European Union launched inoculation campaigns long ago. 

He said it was initially hoped that the delivery of the vaccines was a matter of days or weeks.

The infection wave in Switzerland seems to have peaked with just over 500 incidents in September. Since then the number of cases has been falling sharply. Last week, just five new cases of monkeypox were registered. Most of the reported cases have been among gay men.