Covid vaccine boosters approved for vulnerable groups in Switzerland
Booster jabs have been approved for vulnerable groups in Switzerland.
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
People with a high risk of developing serious complications from Covid-19 may now receive a third vaccine booster jab, the Swiss medicines regulator has stated.
This content was published on
3 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Español
es
Suiza avala la dosis de refuerzo de la vacuna contra la COVID-19
Swissmedic cleared the use of boosters from vaccine makers Moderna (Spikevax) and Pfizer/Biontech (Comirnaty).
“People at especially high risk can receive a booster dose of a vaccine in order to remain adequately protected against severe episodes of Covid-19,” Swissmedic stated on TuesdayExternal link.
This includes immunocompromised people or patients with a weak or non-existent immune response from previous jabs. This could include people who have undergone an organ transplant or cancer patients.
“The latest study data indicate that an additional dose can increase the ability to form antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, particularly in patients with a weakened immune system,” said Swissmedic. “Those who are at especially high risk can also benefit from a booster dose.”
The Federal Office of Public Health said the booster jab should be limited to vulnerable sections of the population, including people aged over 65.
“For the general population, a booster vaccination is currently not permitted and not recommended due to the current data situation,” health officials stated on TuesdayExternal link.
People can start applying for a third booster jab from the beginning of next month when IT systems will be ready to deal with the expected flow of requests.
Dose schedule
A third dose for vulnerable people can now be administered at least six months after they received their second dose. For patients who showed little or no immune response reaction to their first two jabs, a booster can be administered after 28 days of the second jab.
The booster jab will be administered at the usual dosage for the Comirnaty vaccine and a half dose for the Spikevax vaccine.
Switzerland received some 7,700 extra vaccine doses at the end of last week. The government has ordered seven million new doses from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNtech to be delivered next year.
The number of new infections has been rising in Switzerland in recent weeks. Some 1,491 cases were reported on Tuesday, mainly among younger people. The seven-day average stands at 1,237 – an increase of 35% from the previous period.
However, the number of hospitalisations remains stable and there has been a slight decrease in the number of deaths.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Tanja Stadler, head of Switzerland’s Covid-19 science taskforce, said that two vaccine jabs can prevent eight out of ten hospitalisations.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Authorities urge vigilance after heavy snowfall in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Vigilance remains the order of the day in the southern canton of Valais, despite a stable situation after heavy snow on Thursday, authorities said on Saturday.
Switzerland won’t be spared drug violence: criminal police head
This content was published on
It is only a matter of time before Switzerland, like other countries in Europe, experiences an escalation in drug-related violence, says the head of the Federal Criminal Police.
Handful of Swiss Easter processions take place after inclement weather
This content was published on
Traditional Good Friday processions continue to take place in some municipalities in Switzerland. In Romont, canton Fribourg, for example, the "Pleureuses" marched through the streets.
Great St. Bernard pass between Switzerland and Italy closed due to avalanche
This content was published on
An avalanche forced the closure of the Great St. Bernard pass between Switzerland and Italy on Thursday. The route remains closed to Easter traffic.
‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
This content was published on
Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
This content was published on
Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
This content was published on
The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
This content was published on
Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
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.
Read more
More
Switzerland awaits regulator’s verdict on Covid booster shots
This content was published on
On Thursday, Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset said the government and cantons are awaiting Swissmedic’s recommendation of a third dose of the vaccine before proceeding. “We have regular exchanges with the Federal Vaccination Commission and the cantons. We are waiting for the decision of Swissmedic,” Berset said. That could be a matter of days or weeks, according…
Over 1% of recent Swiss Covid-19 fatalities were fully vaccinated
This content was published on
Of the 1,100 people killed by the coronavirus in Switzerland since the end of January, 18 had received both doses of the vaccine.
Swiss expect approval of Covid-19 booster by end of October
This content was published on
Switzerland’s medical regulator has said that it expects to give the greenlight for the third Covid-19 jab in a matter of weeks.
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.