Incomplete data stalls Swiss authorisation of Covid-19 vaccines
The government has already placed orders for several million shots of vaccine from three manufacturers: Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Moderna.
Keystone / John Cairns
Switzerland’s medical regulator Swissmedic says it lacks the necessary information to sign off on three different coronavirus vaccines ordered by the government.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ac
Português
pt
Falta de dados atrasa autorização suíça das vacinas Covid-19
The regulator said important data on safety, efficacy and quality are still missing. It has reached out to the manufacturers, who provided data from their studies.
“We lack data on the effectiveness of the clinical trials and on the important subgroups that participated in these large studies,” said Claus Bolte, head of the authorisation division at Swissmedic, at a press briefing on Tuesday organised by the Federal Office of Public Health.
For example, Swissmedic wants to know about the pre-existing illnesses of the people who took part in these studies. According to the regulator, acceptance of such rapidly developed vaccines requires a high degree of trust in manufacturers and approving authorities. It is therefore important to examine very closely the effects on different groups of people.
Rollout plan
The government has already placed orders for several million shots of vaccine from three manufacturers: Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Moderna.
At the press conference, authorities said vaccines will be offered free of charge and priority will be given to the most vulnerable groups and health workers. The services of the army will be enlisted to ensure stockage and distribution and the country’s 26 cantons will be in charge of setting up vaccination centres.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
The Böögg, Switzerland’s exploding psychic snowman
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
Swiss cantons spared duty to create new traveller transit sites
This content was published on
Swiss cantons will no longer be formally obliged by the government to create new transit sites for the travelling community.
Swiss politicians bemoan limited access to EU treaty details
This content was published on
Protests that only a few Swiss parliamentarians will be able to read the contents of a new agreement negotiated with the EU.
This content was published on
For the first time, most Swiss residents favour withdrawing their pension pot as a lump-sum over regular annuity payments.
This content was published on
The cost of buying a home in Switzerland rose by 4.1% year-on-year in the last quarter and by 0.7% compared to the previous three months.
Landslide threatened Swiss village of Brienz faces many more evacuations
This content was published on
The population of the Swiss village of Brienz/Brinzauls isn warned to expect more landslide evacuations in the coming years.
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines will avoid Pakistani airspace until further notice due to rising tension between India and Pakistan.
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
Can Switzerland convince its people to take the Covid-19 vaccine?
This content was published on
With several vaccines in late stages of development, the next step is to address widespread scepticism so enough people will agree to the jab.
Swiss stump up more cash to buy a Covid-19 vaccine
This content was published on
Interior Minister Alain Berset, who announced the news on Wednesday, said the aim was to provide a “safe and efficient product of high-quality” for the population in Switzerland. The allocation of funds comes on top of CHF300 million approved earlier this year. So far, Switzerland has assured reservations for about 13 million doses of prospective…
Why Switzerland’s Moderna Covid-19 vaccine deal is risky
This content was published on
Switzerland’s vaccine order – its first such move – is a sign that it holds little hope for fair distribution of a Covid-19 shot.
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.