Swiss Covid vaccination rate takes off

Switzerland's vaccination rate now exceeds that of European neighbours. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

After a slow start, the rate of vaccinations against Covid-19 in Switzerland is now among the best in the world, reports the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.

At the start of the year, the Swiss authorities were criticised for dragging their heels on vaccinations despite having ambitious targets.

Drugs regulator Swissmedic took longer than many countries to approve new vaccines and when they arrived there were large discrepancies between the ability of cantons to administer doses at speed.

But this week, Switzerland administered 80,000 vaccinations daily, equivalent to 0.9 doses per 100 inhabitants. This is a more impressive rate than Germany, Italy, France or even Britain, says the SontagsZeitungExternal link. Only Israel and the US have recently recorded a higher vaccination rate.

A fifth of Swiss adults have so far been fully vaccinated with another third having received one dose – some three million people combined.

The Swiss health ministry told the newspaper that a million doses of the Moderna vaccination arrived in Switzerland on Saturday with another 2.5 million doses from Moderna and Pfizer/Biontech expected next month.

Improvements in vaccine supply are behind the increased vaccination rate, along with cantons increasing the rate of first injections rather than hoarding supplies for second doses.

The Federal Office of Public Health is also planning a new information campaign aimed at easing the fears of young women, who form one of the most sceptical groups in the population.

The number of new daily coronavirus infections fell this week to below 1,000 for the first time since October and has remained below this threshold for several days.

On Monday, May 31, pandemic restrictions will be eased further. This means that restaurants and bars can serve people indoors, more cultural and leisure facilities can open and people can gather in larger groups.