Health official urges vaccination patience, expert resigns
"We expect vaccination to be carried out in the cantons from early morning to late evening and at weekends," says the director of the Federal Office of Public Health.
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
The director of Switzerland’s health office has urged patience in the country’s vaccination campaign, saying all at-risk groups should be vaccinated by the end of March.
Anne Lévy, director of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), told Swiss public broadcaster SRF on Saturday she could understand people’s impatience, admitting that the Confederation and cantons are facing logistical challenges. But she said vaccination itself “is not that complicated” and there are enough people who can do it. Everyone in Switzerland who wants to be vaccinated should be vaccinated by summer, she told SRF.
Authorities, and particularly the FOPH, have been under criticism for shortage of vaccines and faulty hotlines. The vaccination campaign kicked off at the end of December with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Lévy said a second shipment of 230,000 vaccine doses has arrived in Switzerland since then, and it expects to approve the Moderna vaccine within the next few days.
Expert resigns
Meanwhile epidemiologist Christian Althaus says he is quitting the government’s expert advisory group on Covid-19. In a Tweet on Saturday announcing his departure, Althaus criticised politicians, saying they should learn to treat science on an equal footing.
The independent expert group has called several times in recent weeks for the government to take tougher measures against the spread of Covid-19.
More
More
First Covid-19 vaccinations take place in Switzerland
This content was published on
The first person in Switzerland, a 90-year-old woman, has been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter makes official visit to Austria
This content was published on
Karin Keller-Sutter, who took over the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has made her first official visit abroad as president to Austria.
This content was published on
The boss of Swiss Post, Roberto Cirillo, is stepping down at the end of March after six years in the job, the company announced on Friday.
This content was published on
The name and logo of the former Credit Suisse headquarters at Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich's financial centre were officially replaced by those of UBS on Friday.
Outgoing Swiss federal police chief warns of insufficient resources
This content was published on
The outgoing director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, has warned that officers, prosecutors and investigators in Switzerland have insufficient resources to do their work.
Swiss university inaugurates Europe’s most powerful centrifuge
This content was published on
The federal technology institute ETH Zurich has inaugurated Europe's most powerful geotechnical centrifuge. Researchers use the instrument to simulate the effects of natural hazards.
Swiss film industry reports successful year in 2024
This content was published on
Swiss films did well in cinemas in 2024, recording over 907,000 admissions, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reports. They accounted for almost 9% of all films shown last year in Switzerland.
Glencore and Rio Tinto held talks on mining’s biggest-ever potential merger, say reports
This content was published on
The Swiss-based mining and commodities group Glencore and the British company Rio Tinto reportedly held early-stage talks last year about combining their businesses.
First municipalities begin Swiss-wide plastic packaging recycling scheme
This content was published on
A new collection system to recycle plastic packaging and drinks cartons has begun in a handful of Swiss municipalities - others should follow in the coming weeks.
This content was published on
Despite an ongoing restructuring programme, Swiss retail giant Migros continued to grow last year by 1.6%, posting record sales of CHF32.5 billion ($35.7 billion).
Swiss researchers warn ‘mega-droughts’ are spreading around the world
This content was published on
"Mega-droughts" are increasing worldwide - becoming more frequent, hotter and more widespread over the past 40 years, a study published on Thursday shows.
This content was published on
Switzerland’s 26 cantons are bringing forward their Covid vaccine campaigns following the approval of a first vaccine over the weekend.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.