Moderna is one of three vaccine manufacturers to have reached supply deals with Switzerland.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Switzerland has increased its coronavirus vaccine order with Moderna by three million doses. This Alpine country now has 15.8 million doses of vaccines on order from three different manufacturers, pending approval from the health regulator.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
The Swiss government increased its previous order with the US biotechnology company for its mRNA vaccine to a new total of 7.5 million doses, it was announced on Tuesday. Earlier this week, Switzerland added a vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech to its desired stockpile list.
Switzerland’s membership of the World Health Organization COVAXExternal link initiative would also grant access to enough vaccines to cover 20% of the Swiss population.
Health regulator Swissmedic is currently evaluating the safety of several vaccine candidates under its “rolling procedure”, which allows manufacturers to submit the results of test studies in stages. So far, no vaccine has yet been approved.
On Wednesday, Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said it had reached an agreement with Moderna to extend the use of its Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Sdiagnostic tool to speed up testing of its vaccine.
“To enhance our understanding of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 there would be a benefit in knowing the starting levels of antibodies a person has, prior to vaccination, in order to evaluate any change in antibody levels that the vaccine induces,” Roche stated in a press release.
The Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Sdiagnostic tool was granted emergency use authorisation by the US health authorities last month.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
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 cancels flight to Tel Aviv following missile attack near Ben Gurion airport
This content was published on
After a missile landed near Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) cancelled its flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv on Sunday.
Swiss foreign minister rejects mandatory referendum for EU deals
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis defended the government’s decision to make EU deals subject to an optional rather than a mandatory referendum.
Pro-choice and anti-abortion activists face off in Geneva
This content was published on
Anti-abortion Christian groups held a silent prayer in front of the Geneva train station on Saturday, to the whistles and shouts of pro-choice demonstrators.
Swiss army soldier seriously injured in accident on Simplon Pass
This content was published on
A member of the Swiss army was seriously injured on Friday while manoeuvring a self-propelled howitzer on the Simplon Pass.
Basel attempts world‘s largest over-60s disco before Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
It was billed as a world record attempt for the biggest over-60s disco of all time. But most visitors came to Basel to have fun.
Basel prepares 700 volunteers for the Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
Around 320 people took part in one of the two official information events for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel on Friday.
More Swiss soldiers involved in accidents during training in Austria
This content was published on
The Swiss army has reported various accidents involving Swiss soldiers during the exercise “TRIAS 25” in Austria. Some have led to hospitalisations.
Swiss court rules vegan meat substitutes can’t use animal names
This content was published on
Vegan meat substitutes may not bear animal names such as “planted.chicken” according to a ruling by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
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
Incomplete data stalls Swiss authorisation of Covid-19 vaccines
This content was published on
Switzerland’s medical regulator says it lacks the necessary information to sign off on three different vaccines ordered by the government.
Switzerland secures three million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
This content was published on
Some 4.5 million doses of another vaccine have already been agreed with United States pharma company Moderna and another 5.3 million doses from the British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca. The government said on MondayExternal link that membership of the World Health Organization COVAXExternal link initiative grants vaccine coverage to 20% of the Swiss population. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine would require…
This content was published on
With a death toll of over 5,000, Switzerland (population 8.5 million) expects to launch its coronavirus vaccination campaign in early January.
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.