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Switzerland gives the green light to start a first corona vaccine. As soon as the first doses of Pfizer-Biontech arrive on Swiss soil, the vaccination can begin.
“We, the army, are ready,” says Dan Aeschbach, chief of the army pharmacy. The latter is in charge of storage and distribution to the cantons. There are close agreements with the cantons until the end of the vaccination campaign, Aeschbach said on Saturday. “The stores are set up in such a way that we can store large quantities of vaccination doses in all three temperature categories.”
This is how Switzerland is vaccinated
The most important information and answers to questions about the largest vaccination campaign in history:
Is the vaccine already in Switzerland?
Apparently he is not yet in the country. The first doses of the vaccine will be shipped to Switzerland in the coming days, says Anne Lévy, director of BAG. The first installment contains 107,000 doses of vaccine. Another 250,000 doses of vaccine will follow in early January. This amount corresponds to what Pfizer / Biontech provides monthly for Switzerland. The federal government has ordered a total of three million doses of vaccines from this manufacturer.
When do you start getting vaccinated?
As soon as the vaccine reaches Switzerland, the vaccination can begin. The 107,000 doses of vaccine are enough for 53,500 people. These should be vaccinated, if possible before Christmas, no later than the end of December. In the canton of Lucerne, the first people will be vaccinated against Corona on Wednesday, says Guido Graf in “SonntagsBlick”. The Lucerne health director talks about a vaccination home base at the Lucerne Exhibition Center.
How often do you get vaccinated?
The vaccination must be comparable to a bee sting. Two intramuscular syringes are required. The second dose is given three weeks after the first. After that, you may experience side effects similar to those that can occur with the flu vaccine. These are, for example, headaches, mild fever, nausea.
Who will get vaccinated first?
Vulnerable people come here in “specifically escorted settings.” This will affect the individual cantons. No further details yet. The information is the responsibility of the cantons. Basel-Stadt announced on Saturday that the first vaccinations will begin on December 28. Initially only people over 65 years old. In general, according to the BAG: as of January 4, 2021, vaccinations for risk groups can start in all cantons of Switzerland. These groups comprise around 2 million people in Switzerland, 1.6 million of them are elderly.
When will the rest of the population have the opportunity?
Priority is given to particularly vulnerable people, that is, the elderly and those with previous illnesses. Second priority: health workers. And then, in third priority, those who live with people who are particularly at risk. Fourth priority: people from community facilities and their staff, for example, homes for the disabled. Here there is an increased risk of infection and outbreaks. Only at the end does the rest of the population have their turn. This depends on the availability of the vaccine and other approvals. The general public should take about half a year to get vaccinated.
Can vaccinated people transmit the virus?
That’s still unclear and will be investigated in the coming weeks, according to the BAG. Therefore, the same applies to vaccinated people: wear a mask, wash your hands, disinfect, keep your distance.
How effective is the vaccine anyway?
The effectiveness is very high, almost 95 percent seven days after the second vaccination. But this also means: Corona protection is only available four weeks after the first vaccination. The usual protective measures apply until further notice. How many months or years the crown protection will last, no one can say today.
Are people exempt from vaccination?
According to Swissmedic, the data available for children under 16 years of age is too scarce. Therefore, the Biontech vaccine is not approved for children and adolescents. It is not yet clear when these age groups can be vaccinated. The vaccine is available to everyone else. There is no upper age group limit.
How does the vaccine get to Switzerland, to the cantons?
The vaccine arrives in Switzerland mainly by air. The army receives the vaccines, stores them in secret places at minus 70 degrees and then distributes them to the cantons. But that’s only the case when vaccination is about to start. According to the army pharmacy, the cantons can store the vaccine for a maximum of five days between 2 and 8 degrees (in the refrigerator). This means that vaccination must be done quickly.
Where are so many people vaccinated?
Space is needed, that is clear. Basel-Stadt carries out vaccinations at a special vaccination center at the fair. Mobile teams are used for vaccination in nursing homes. Until the first people in nursing homes are directly vaccinated, it takes a little longer due to clarifications with supporters, family doctors and others, according to the canton of Basel-Stadt.
Where should interested parties contact?
It is not yet clear. There are probably also cantonal differences. People in the canton of Basel-Stadt who want to get vaccinated should book an appointment on a website or on an information line. The appropriate website and information line should be open for reservations starting Monday at 10 am No walk-in vaccination available.
What do I have to bring to the vaccination?
The cantons will provide information here. One thing is for sure: you need the identity card and probably also the card of the respective health insurer. As with any other vaccine, the doctor enters the corona vaccine in the vaccination booklet. It will also be possible to register the vaccine electronically. It is not clear if there will be a vaccination certificate.
Do I have to pay for the vaccination with my own bag?
Under no circumstance. Vaccination is free. Swissmedic ensures that it is exempt from any deductible or excess.
Can I choose which vaccine I want to get?
Who will be vaccinated in the next few days has no other option. Because so far only the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine has been approved in Switzerland. Besides Pfizer / Biontech, there are three other vaccines in progress for this. These are the vaccines from Moderna (with production partner Lonza), Astrazeneca and Janssen-Cilag, a subsidiary of the US health group Johnson & Johnson. There is no option until these vaccines are approved. And it’s hard to say today if there will be one.
Will I be discriminated against if I don’t get vaccinated?
Vaccination is voluntary. Individuals, on the other hand, can refuse services if a person is not vaccinated. Vaccination, however, is sensitive personal data. It is questionable whether anyone can be compelled to reveal this, says Martin Dumermuth, director of the Federal Office of Justice. Public transport has a transport obligation. For this reason, people from SBB who have not been vaccinated may not generally prohibit carrying them. Legal authorization is required to ban.
Does the obligation of quarantine also apply to vaccinated people?
Anyone who believes they can escape quarantine after a corona vaccination will be disappointed by the BAG. Vaccinated people should continue to comply with protective measures. It is not yet known whether the vaccine will protect against transmission of the virus. This will only become apparent over the course of the next few weeks and months, maybe even years.
Why did it develop so quickly?
Applications for approval of the vaccine were evaluated in an ongoing review process. This means that the evaluation of the vaccine by the approval authorities begins before all the necessary data are available. So it was continually reviewed. In addition, the first concepts of RNA-based vaccines emerged after the appearance of the so-called Mers pathogen in 2012, a relative of the current coronavirus. Due to the similarity of pathogens, vaccines can be adapted quickly. Furthermore, the search for vaccines has sparked what is probably the largest breed ever seen by science. Hundreds of companies participated in the research.
Does the vaccine mean a return to normal life?
Probably not at first. Scientists advocate not issuing the crown’s rules to vaccinated people either – keep your distance, wash your hands regularly, and wear a mask.
