After ordering millions of doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, Switzerland has decided to stick to using only the two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and donate its doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries.
According to Virginie Masserey, head of infectious disease control at Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the federal government is planning to donate nearly all of its AstraZeneca vaccine doses.
Currently, only the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been authorised for use in Switzerland and there are no supply constraints on these vaccines.
Masserey said that the government was examining the possibility of giving its doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to other nations if they are not required in Switzerland. She said it would make no sense for the vaccines to be delivered to Switzerland and potentially destroyed. The fight against Covid-19 is international, she added.
The possibility of giving 3 million of Switzerland’s 5.3 million AstraZeneca doses to Covax, an initiative to get vaccines to countries with less financial resources, is currently being explored. The government is already in contact with Gavi, the EU and vaccine manufacturers to work out how to proceed once a final decision has been taken. A certain number of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine would be reserved for anyone in Switzerland who is allergic to mRNA vaccines, said Masserey.
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Paul Dodd says
They hardly need to reserve 2.3 million doses for people with allergies to the Moderna and Pfizer/BionTech vaccines.
Lynx says
What’s wrong with the AstraZeneca vaccine? What do the Swiss Health Dept know that they are not telling us? I would think as many vaccines as possible would be made available to the whole Swiss population, so we can get back to normal as quickly as possible. My Kanton was so slow with vaccines, I went to another one, as I was so fed up with waiting. But I still can’t go anywhere I want to visit abroad. Maybe with a Covid passport.
AZ says
I guess you didn’t read the news in the last couple of months.
Lynx says
I read the news daily, hoping someone somewhere sees sense soon. Close all borders, stop people moving outside their local area until we have all had at least 2 jabs. Why is AZ approved in the UK, but not in CH? That’s all I was wondering. Nothing else.
Paul Dodd says
The Moderna and Pfizer/Biontech vaccines are more effective. The AZ vaccine can cause blood clotting in extremely rare cases, mostly in younger women.
Lynx says
All vaccines are risky. I was asked if I was allergic to anything in them, before my first jab. I have no idea – I just said, try it and see.
Paul Dodd says
The AZ vaccine is anyway not approved yet by Swissmedic.
Lynx says
Yes, but why? The UK Health experts are just as clever as Swiss ones. Though I’ve often had comments from Swiss people that implies foreigners are somehow less intelligent and that the Swiss way is the only way.