Old people in Switzerland urged to get Covid jab

Almost three-quarters of Covid-related deaths in Switzerland have involved people over the age of 80. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

The Swiss Senior Citizens’ Council has appealed to all elderly citizens to get vaccinated, saying this would be an effective contribution to combating the pandemic and the associated health and economic crisis.

The Seniors’ Council was very relieved to learn of the launch of the vaccination campaign against Covid-19, it said in a statement on Thursday. It said it supported the Federal Council and the Federal Office of Public Health in their efforts to combat the pandemic.

On Wednesday a 90-year-old woman became the first person in Switzerland to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The landmark jab marks the start of a vaccination programme that will be rolled out across the country in the coming weeks.

“Older people have paid a very high price for the pandemic in terms of deaths and hospitalisations. They are by far the segment of the population most at risk of contracting a severe form of Covid-19,” it said.

Of the almost 6,500 coronavirus deaths in Switzerland so far, almost three-quarters have involved people over the age of 80.