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ZURICH – Switzerland on Saturday authorized the use of the Pfizer pharmaceutical vaccine in association with BioNTech against Covid-19, announced the national health regulatory authority Swissmedic. It is the first time that a coronavirus vaccine has been authorized for standard use, that is, that is not emergency.
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Two months after receiving the request, Swissmedic granted authorization for the vaccine in an ongoing review of the submitted documents.
“After a careful review of the available information, Swissmedic concluded that the Pfizer / BioNTech covid-19 vaccine is safe and its benefits outweigh the risks,” the agency said in a statement.
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Other countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Chile have already authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19 in their population. The United States has also launched the use of the Moderna vaccine. Emergency use is more restricted and intended for specific groups of the population.
– We were able to make this decision quickly, ensuring that the three essential conditions are respected: safety, efficiency and quality – said the director of Swissmedic, Raimund Bruhin.
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Swiss vaccination will begin in a few days, Health Minister Alain Berset said in a video posted on Twitter. Immunization priority will be for vulnerable people, including the elderly and people with health problems.
Swissmedic will require Pfizer to continue to send information on the safety, efficacy and quality of its vaccine on an ongoing basis, it said.
Switzerland, with 8.6 million inhabitants, has guaranteed access to 15.8 million doses of vaccines, negotiated with three different laboratories: three million with Pfizer / BioNTech, 7.5 million with Moderna and 5.3 million doses with AstraZeneca. Two doses per patient are required for all three vaccines.
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Switzerland registers more than 4,000 new infections every day and more than 100 deaths. In total, the country has reported 400,000 cases and 6,000 deaths since the pandemic began.
The Swiss government announced new measures on Friday to try to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. As of December 22, restaurants, shopping centers, sports centers and other entertainment venues will be closed.
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Instead, the stores will remain open, but with limited capacity. The restrictions will be valid until January 22.
