Many cantons are unready for big Covid-19 booster campaign, says paper
Currently, Covid booster jabs are recommended for the over 65s and vulnerable people in Switzerland.
Keystone / Michael Buholzer
Cantonal authorities in Switzerland are unprepared for a major campaign to administer booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines to the under-65s, reports the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SonntagsZeitung/Keystone-SDA/sb
Currently, Covid booster jabs are recommended for the over 65s and vulnerable people; local authorities have started administering doses. There is much speculation in Switzerland about when booster shots will be ready for the under-65s.
According to the SonntagsZeitung newspaperExternal link, many cantons will be unable to offer a third vaccination dose to under 65s until 2022 because they have reduced capacity. Bookings for booster jabs are reserved mainly for older people until Christmas, the paper said after contacting health authorities in Bern, Basel, Zurich and Lucerne.
In canton Bern, for example, much of the vaccination infrastructure used this year has been dismantled and vaccination centres have been closed.
In the paper, Zurich hospital doctor Huldrych Günthard criticises the cantons for their slow approach. He says the army should be deployed to accelerate the booster campaign.
With boosters on the horizon, Tobias Bär, spokesperson for the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors, last week defended the cantons. He told BlickExternal link newspaper that the authorities should be able to handle the demand for boosters.
“Unlike the start of the vaccination campaign a year ago, there will be less pressure this time around,” he declared.
More
More
Sunday papers: Covid booster shot may come ‘soon’
This content was published on
The Covid-19 vaccine booster may be available to younger people this year, according to interviews in the Sunday press.
Last week federal health officials announced that a booster jab should be validated soon for people under 65. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Federal Vaccination Commission need to adapt the vaccination recommendation.
Health officials say a Covid booster jab should take place at the earliest six months after a second vaccination.
In summer the number of Covid jabs peaked at over 90,000 a day; in recent weeks fewer than 20,000 jabs a day have been administered. Around 65% of the population has been double-jabbed.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss federal office sees no reason to end deportations of asylum-seekers to Croatia
This content was published on
Switzerland's State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) continues to deport asylum-seekers to Croatia. It thus rejects a demand from the Swiss Refugee Council in mid-February, which called for a halt to the returns.
ChatGPT responds to negative emotions and therapy, research shows
This content was published on
Stressful information can also cause anxiety in artificial intelligence (AI). As scientists in Zurich have shown, it's even possible to calm the GPT-4 AI model with mindfulness exercises.
Mortgage benchmark fall paves way for potential rent cuts in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland’s national benchmark for mortgage costs dropped to the level it had before the global inflation surge, paving the way for potential rent reductions.
Switzerland ‘deeply concerned’ by Trump’s death penalty order
This content was published on
Switzerland has told the UN Human Rights Council that it is "deeply concerned" by US President Donald Trump's recent executive order to strengthen capital punishment at federal and state level.
Blatter, Platini return to court for new fraud trial over CHF2 million FIFA payment
This content was published on
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini appeared in court in Switzerland on Monday accused of fraud - 2.5 years after they were cleared.
Israel criticises Swiss decision to host Middle East conference in Geneva on Friday
This content was published on
Israel has condemned Switzerland for planning to host a meeting on international humanitarian law in the Middle East next Friday in Geneva.
Centre Party’s Franziska Biner elected to Valais government
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland elected Franziska Biner to the cantonal government in the first round of voting, beating off more established politicians.
While Switzerland struggles to vaccinate, Portugal is already finished
This content was published on
Nowhere are more people vaccinated against Covid-19 than in Portugal, where 98% of over 25-year-olds have had both doses.
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.