Vaccine delays cost Switzerland up to CHF100 million per day
Delivery delays from vaccine manufacturers mean half as many people in Switzerland will be vaccinated as planned in February. However, Interior Minister Alain Berset remains confident that the goal of vaccinating everyone who wants to by the summer can still be reached.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/NZZ/jdp
Español
es
Vacunas anti-COVID-19: El retraso cuesta a Suiza hasta 100 millones al día
According to the German-language paper NZZamSonntagExternal link, only around 650,000 vaccinations will be possible in February compared to the original goal of 1.3 million. The federal government quietly changed its vaccination target last week after both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna announced delivery delays.
On January 21, Interior Minister Alain Berset announced that it should be possible to administer 525 doses for every 100,000 people every day – seven days a week. Last week, a confidential letter sent from the federal health office to the cantons scaled this back to 380 vaccinations for every 100,000 per day and only on weekdays.
The slower than expected roll-out not only has health consequences but also a massive impact on the economy.
“If the economic situation is normalised one day earlier through vaccinations, Switzerland will save up to CHF110 million ($114 million),” states the Swiss National Covid-19 Taskforce in a new study.
Making up for lost time
In an interview with the same paper, Berset said that although fewer people than planned will be vaccinated in February, he believes that it will still be possible to vaccinate everyone who wants to by the summer.
“We now have the problem that we are receiving some deliveries later than planned. This is annoying, but we have to live with it and constantly adapt,” he told the paper.
He added that the country will make up for the deficit. “For the campaign to be successful, it is not decisive whether we have vaccinated the first 10% of the population at the end of January or the end of February. It is important that we are quick in the second quarter when the large quantities of vaccine arrive.”
More
Archived
Do you feel you have access to a Covid vaccine in your country?
We want to know when you will get a jab and if vaccines are being made available in the most effective way to stop the pandemic.
Based on the letter sent to the cantons on January 27, it will be difficult to reach the 650,000 vaccination target. Some 200,000 vaccine doses are expected to be delivered in February. When combined with the current reserves in the cantons, the total vaccinations only amount to 450,000 doses, according to the paper.
Berset noted other vaccines will eventually be added including that from AstraZeneca, of which Switzerland has ordered 5.3 million doses of the total 15.8 million doses ordered from three manufacturers. A spokesperson for the Swiss subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson told the SonntagsZeitungExternal link that the company is in talks with the Swiss federal health office about its vaccine candidate.
To date, around 260,000 people in Switzerland have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. On Saturday, Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter told CH-Media in an interview that she has been vaccinated.
The share of people who want to be vaccinated appears to be on the rise, according to a survey by the University of Zurich. In the third week of January some 55% of people said they would most likely or likely get vaccinated compared to only 41% in mid-December.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
This content was published on
Switzerland is among the countries exempt from the European Union’s vaccine export controls, the European Commission said on Friday.
This content was published on
Switzerland will be affected by the temporary delay to the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Europe, the Swiss health authorities have confirmed.
Covid-19 vaccine: Why we still have a long wait ahead
This content was published on
Countries have started rolling out a Covid-19 vaccine, but it will likely take years to manufacture doses at the scale needed to reach the masses.
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.