Who should be vaccinated and in what order?
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The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) and the Federal Commission for Vaccination Issues (Ekif) had to Strategie because not the whole population can be supplied at once. Particularly vulnerable people, i.e. older people and those with previous illnesses, are given priority. Depending on the availability of the vaccine, vaccinations are given in this order:
- Particularly at risk (excluding pregnant women)
- Health staff with patient contact and the care staff for particularly vulnerable people
- Close contacts (household members) of particularly vulnerable people
- People in communal facilities with an increased risk of infection and outbreak (e.g. homes for the disabled) and their staff
Only after these prioritized groups should the vaccines be available to all other adults who would like to be vaccinated. Children and adolescents do not yet belong to the target groups of the vaccination strategy, as the relevant study data for this age group are not yet available.-
Which vaccines are used?
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So far, only Pfizer / Biontech’s vaccine has been approved by Swissmedic receive. This has a high effectiveness and meets the requirements for safety, writes the drug authority. The vaccination protection is over 90 percent seven days after the second vaccination.
It is the world’s first approval in an ordinary process. “But we have not relaxed our standards”, vensures Swissmedic Director Raimund Bruhin. Despite less data being collected, the benefits of vaccination outweigh its risks.
Christoph Berger, President of Ekif, said the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine was effective and well tolerated. Anyone over the age of 16, except pregnant women, could be vaccinated. Unwanted side effects are only known due to allergies to one component.
For three other Covid vaccines, the approval test at Swissmedic continues. Rapid, conditional approval for Moderna’s vaccine is expected in January. Because it also promises an effectiveness of almost 95 percent, so that the benefit-risk ratio is clear. The Astra-Zeneca serum is also used eApproval expected in January. However, too little study data are available for the Janssen-Cilag / Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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How much vaccine is available anyway?
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The vaccine from Pfizer / Biontech is being delivered to Switzerland in stages: the first delivery at the end of December comprised around 100,000 doses. Switzerland currently has 233,000 doses of the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine. 125,000 more cans are to be delivered in January. In total, the federal government has ordered around three million vaccine doses from the manufacturer.
The army receives the vaccines, stores them in their protected facilities at minus 70 degrees and then distributes them to the cantons. This delivery takes place shortly before the start of the vaccination. The cantons can then store the vaccine for a maximum of five days at 2 to 8 degrees (in the refrigerator).
In total, the federal government has signed contracts for 15.8 million vaccine doses so far: 3 million from Pfizer / Biontech, another 7.5 million from Moderna and up to 5.3 million from Astra-Zeneca. Because two doses per person are usually necessary, that would be enough for 7.9 million people or 92 percent of the population.
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How long does it take until all (volunteers) are vaccinated?
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That will probably take months. The demand for the vaccination is gratifying, the doses available are currently not sufficient to cover them, said Nora Kronig, Vice Director and Head of the International Department at the FOPH. The federal government has designed the contracts with the manufacturers so that they can deliver their vaccines by summer at the latest. The goal is to have enough doses to be able to vaccinate those at risk by spring. The vaccination would then be available to the general public from spring. Federal experts estimate that all those willing to vaccinate should have received their doses by summer.
The relatively few vaccines initially force a high priority in administration. The logistical performance is also considerable because of the cooling of the vaccine. Christoph Berger, President of the Federal Commission for Vaccination Issues (Ekif), assured everyone that it would be their turn. It just takes time. Once the Moderna vaccine is approved, things will improve.
The situation will not ease immediately because of the vaccinations. “The vaccinations will not make a decisive contribution to controlling the epidemic in the next three to four months,” said epidemiologist Andreas Cerny SSunday newspaper. The previous measures to contain the epidemic such as masks, contact restrictions and quarantine will continue to be necessary until autumn.
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