Switzerland is sitting on millions of surplus doses of Covid-19 vaccine, with more and more having to be destroyed, reports the NZZ newspaper on Friday.
This is despite calls for people to get booster jabs this winter, especially older people and those with health problems. The newspaper puts this down to vaccine fatigue and the government playing it safe, ordering ahead for 2023.
Switzerland currently has 13.5 million doses available for use, and two million more are expected in the coming weeks. The Alpine country has also committed to purchase another 11.6 million doses, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) confirmed. Most of these doses are expected in the third and fourth quarters of 2023, some of which were ordered last year. Their delivery was postponed to 2023 “in order to always receive the most current vaccine”, the FOPH told Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.
A total of 32.6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been delivered to Switzerland so far, according to the statement, and 16.95 million doses had been administered by Wednesday.
In addition, according to the FOPH, 7.76 million doses were stored as Swiss government property in a warehouse in Belgium for transfer to third countries. Those vaccines had to be disposed of locally in autumn 2022 after reaching their expiry date, and the warehouse had to be closed. To date, 4.2 million vaccine doses have been passed on to other countries.
As for vaccine fatigue, only 12.16% of the population has had a jab in the last six months. Over a longer period of time, nearly 70% have had at least one dose.
The official number of new Covid-19 cases in Switzerland continues to fall, with a total of 4,166 reported on January 5 for the previous seven-day period (12,632 new cases were reported on December 29). There were 225 new hospital admissions (-42%) and 25 reported deaths (stable). This may not, however, reflect the reality, as since January 1 the government no longer covers the costs of testing. The number of tests carried out over the past week fell by 50%.
More
More
Swiss Politics
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
12,000 fish to be transferred by helicopter in Swiss river cleanup operation
This content was published on
Some 12,000 fish are being removed from the River Spöl in the Swiss National Park. This operation is necessary before cleaning up the riverbed, which was contaminated by PCBs during maintenance work in 2016.
Swiss parliament approves due diligence for high-risk consultancy activities
This content was published on
On Thursday, the House of Representatives accepted the draft of the Senate, which was largely watered down compared to the government's original proposal.
Zurich Film Festival will show 114 films and honour Russell Crowe
This content was published on
The 21st Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) will screen 114 films, including 16 Swiss productions and 41 European or world premieres, from 25 September to 5 October. Actor Russell Crowe will receive an honorary lifetime achievement award.
Emergency financial aid authorised for Swiss village buried by landslide
This content was published on
The Valais Grand Council gives the green light for a solidarity contribution of CHF 10 million for the village of Blatten, which was destroyed by the landslide. The aid is to benefit the population, companies and associations.
New attempt to regulate assisted suicide in Switzerland fails
This content was published on
Assisted suicide will not be regulated in Switzerland. On Thursday, the Senate rejected a motion from its Legal Affairs Committee.
Risk of sepsis is underestimated in Switzerland, warn experts
This content was published on
In Switzerland, over 20,000 people are hospitalised with sepsis every year. Around 4,000 die as a result, as a new report from the Swiss Sepsis Programme shows.
Swiss SME sentiment remains stable despite steep US tariffs
This content was published on
Despite the high US tariffs, the mood among Swiss SMEs has hardly deteriorated. However, two thirds of export-oriented companies have now adjusted their export strategy, with one in ten even questioning it as a whole.
Covid-19 booster shots available to Swiss residents
This content was published on
The authorities recommend that people aged over 16, especially the most vulnerable, get a booster shot to contain a new wave of infections.
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.