Swiss health experts sign letter wary of herd immunity claims
The number of new daily Covid-19 infections has risen sharply in Switzerland in the last week.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
Amid rising Covid-19 cases in Switzerland, five experts have signed a letter in the Lancet warning that a pandemic management strategy relying on herd immunity is flawed.
The “John Snow Memorandum”, named after a British physician considered a founder of modern epidemiology, was published in the LancetExternal link scientific journal on Wednesday. It is the work of a group of international researchers with expertise across public health fields, who “felt moved to deliver a clear and simple message about how best to manage the Covid-19 pandemic”.
More than 50 international researchers have signed, including five from Swiss universities: Christian Althaus from the University of Bern, Isabella Eckerle at the University of Geneva, Jacques Fellay at the University Hospital in Lausanne, Emma Hodcroft at the University of Basel, and Ilona Kickbusch from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.
The letter argues that as cases rise, reaching more than 2,800 new daily infections in Switzerland on Wednesday, there is a need for clear communication about the risks posed by Covid-19 and effective strategies to combat them.
The arrival of a second wave has led to renewed interest in the concept of so-called herd immunity, which would allow large uncontrolled outbreaks in the low-risk population while protecting the most vulnerable.
“This is a dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence,” states the letter. According to the researchers, this raises the risks of significant morbidity and mortality, and could overwhelm healthcare systems.
They note that there is no evidence for lasting protective immunity to Covid-19 following natural infection and there remains a lack of understanding of who might suffer from long-term Covid-19 effects.
There is growing concern about rising cases across much of Switzerland. In an interview in the German-language newspaper Tages-Anzeiger, former Covid-19 taskforce head and epidemiologist Matthias Egger called on the government and cantons to act quickly to prevent another lockdown.
Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga is expected to meet cantonal authorities on Thursday to discuss the way forward.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
Algerian to face trial in Switzerland for ties to Islamic State
This content was published on
A 51-year-old Algerian man has been charged by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office for involvement in the banned terrorist group.
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
This content was published on
The number of new daily coronavirus infections in Switzerland rose to 2,823 on Wednesday, double the figure reported on Tuesday.
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.