Recommended Covid-19 vaccinations will remain free in Switzerland in 2023, including for residents and cross-border workers not subject to compulsory health insurance, according to government measures adopted on Friday.
“Vaccination is a central element in the fight against the pandemic, offering good protection against severe forms of the disease and preventing hospitalisation,” said the Federal Council in a press releaseExternal link.
It also decided to continue to sell unused vaccine doses to other countries in 2023. According to this strategy adopted in February 2022, a maximum of 13 million doses in the year can be sold or transferred if they are not used in Switzerland.
The Alpine country has already donated millions of doses and some have expired because of a supply glut. It announced in February, for example, that it would donate up to 15 million shots in the first half of 2022 to the COVAX initiative for equitable vaccine distribution.
A new wave of coronavirus infections and hospital admissions emerged in Switzerland in September; numbers have since stabilised at a high level. A total of 16,362 new Covid cases were reported on December 13 for the previous seven-day period, down 12% on the previous week. Health officials nonetheless say there are a high number of unreported new infections.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Too many Covid doses: Switzerland’s vaccine conundrum
This content was published on
Switzerland is sitting on around 38 million excess Covid-19 vaccine doses to be used by the end of 2022. What will it do with them?
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.