The Covid-19 vaccine booster may be available to younger people this year, according to interviews in the Sunday press. Meanwhile, the head of the Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force has warned that more must be done to fight the present Covid wave.
“At the moment, the booster is recommended for the over 65s. But I am convinced that a third vaccination will have to be extended to the entire population in the near future,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin told the NZZ am SonntagExternal link, echoing comments made last Friday.
One had to accept at some point that it would not be possible to convince more people to get the first two doses, and move on to other measures like the booster jab for those already vaccinated, he said. The country has just held a week-long vaccination drive in an effort to convince those wavering over the shot, but the results had not really been satisfactory, Parmelin commented.
Switzerland’s vaccination rate for two doses currently stands at around 64%, which means it is lagging behind many other European countries.
For his part, Christoph Berger, the head of the Federal Vaccination Commission, said the booster should be possible for all those eligible “this year”. “As soon as all the over 65s who want it have received the jab, we can open it up for younger people, he told the SonntagsZeitung.External link
More action needed
Also speaking in the SonntagsZeitung, the head of the Swiss Covid-19 science task force, Tanja Stadler, expressed her concerns about the current coronavirus wave in the country. The number of new Covid infections has risen significantly since mid-October. On Friday 12 they stood at almost 4,000.
If Switzerland continues as it is, there could be a further 30,000 hospitalisations due to Covid-19, she said in an interview.
The current trend had to be halted, “whether through reducing contacts or another rapid push in vaccinations, ” she said.
She said that the booster would help “to get through the winter better” because it would reduce hospitalisations of risk groups and the spread of the virus in general.
For Stadler, it made sense to wait six months after the second dose – in Switzerland this was administered to the general population from mid-June, so there was “still a few weeks left”. With a booster, the protection against infection could be increased again to 95 per cent, she added.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
This content was published on
Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
This content was published on
2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
Swiss CFOs much more optimistic despite global uncertainty
This content was published on
The main concerns of business leaders in Switzerland are geopolitical uncertainty and the important trading partners Germany and China.
Cantons gear up for crucial Covid vaccination drive
This content was published on
A series of special events is set to go live as Switzerland heads into a week-long offensive to increase Covid vaccine uptake.
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.