Swiss pharmacies face Covid-19 vaccine shortages amid summer wave

Each vaccine dose costs about CHF80, excluding the cost of the medical injection and the fees for the healthcare provider. Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi

Switzerland is currently experiencing a summer wave of Covid-19. Although the current variants are not particularly severe, some people still wish to get vaccinated. However, Swiss pharmacies and doctors’ surgeries are facing vaccine shortages.

Responsibility for Covid-19 vaccination has just shifted. Until now, it was the Confederation that managed it: they ordered the vaccines and covered part of the costs.

Since July 1, Covid-19 vaccines have been subject to market forces. This means doctors’ surgeries and pharmacies now have to order the doses directly for their patients. As Swiss newspaper 20 Minutes also reported, vaccines are in short supply on the shelves.

Not enough time to restock

Healthcare professionals can’t rely on the existing vaccine stock. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has stated that there’s no legal basis for using the doses bought by the Confederation.

It has therefore asked doctors and pharmacies to dispose of any doses still in their possession. The remaining vaccines will be kept in an emergency reserve held by the Confederation. They could be used in the event of a major Covid outbreak, as long as they are not expired.

Healthcare providers now need to order new vaccines. At the moment, they can’t use their usual channels, as wholesalers don’t have the current vaccines in stock. Several healthcare professionals contacted by Swiss public radio RTS said they didn’t have enough time to restock because they were only notified in May or June that it was now their responsibility.

Estimating demand is challenging

Each vaccine dose costs about CHF80 ($90), excluding the cost of the medical injection and the fees for the healthcare provider. These costs are only covered for at-risk individuals. Those who want to get vaccinated to protect others will need to pay themselves. Consequently, medical practices and pharmacies are finding it difficult to estimate how many patients will be willing to pay.

They are facing a dilemma, as Monique Lehky Hagen, President of the Valais Medical Society, puts it: “We either order too many vaccines and have to bear the financial losses, or we order too few and face criticism. It’s an impossible task.” To better understand what lies ahead, this doctor has conducted a survey among her patients.

Several doctors and pharmacists have told RTS they are frustrated with the FOPH for not supporting this transition, such as by agreeing to cover any potential losses. “The FOPH has shirked its responsibilities by not preparing for the shift from Confederation coverage to the arrival of vaccines targeting the new variants in September,” says Christophe Berger, President of the Vaud Society of Pharmacists.

Two-tier medicine?

The FOPH responds that this shift in responsibility has been in the works for some time, with workshops organised as early as March 2023. According to the office, it was the cantons that requested Covid vaccines be made available like other vaccines. As for the cost, it is said to be comparable to prices abroad.

Moreover, the FOPH emphasises that the vaccine is covered for vulnerable individuals and paid for by others, just like the flu vaccine. For comparison, the flu vaccine costs between CHF30 and CHF40, which is two to three times less than the current prices for Covid doses.

Translated from French by DeepL/sp

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