Switzerland not recommends COVID-19 vaccination even when the world remains to be battling the pandemic.

The country’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced that the vaccine isn’t any longer beneficial even for people at high risk starting this spring. Swiss authorities attributed this decision to the variety of residents vaccinated against the disease and people who have developed natural immunity from the virus.

“In principle, no COVID-19 vaccination is beneficial for spring/summer 2023. Nearly everyone in Switzerland has been vaccinated and/or contracted and recovered from COVID-19. Their immune system has due to this fact been exposed to the coronavirus,” the FOPH wrote on its website.

The general public health officials also backed their decision with data pointing to the virus likely circulating less this 12 months. Moreover, the newer virus variants cause milder illness than the sooner strains, including Delta.

For people at high risk, including those aged 65 and older, the immunocompromised and pregnant women, the FOPH stated that they’ll still receive a vaccine after a person consultation with their doctor.

“Vaccination could also be clever in individual cases, because it improves protection against developing severe COVID-19 for several months. This is applicable whatever the variety of vaccinations you’ve got already received,” the FOPH added.

Seroprevalence data from mid-2022 showed that greater than 98% of Switzerland’s population already had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. They got the antibodies from prior infection, vaccination, or each, in line with The Epoch Times.

By not recommending the vaccines, this is able to mean that vaccination shouldn’t be covered by the federal government anymore. Non-high-risk individuals who wish to get the vaccine or the booster would should pay for it.

High-risk people won’t should pay for the vaccine or booster if a physician consultation beneficial they get one. The vaccine, on this case, can be covered by their health insurance.

By autumn, public health authorities would convene to judge the results of the choice for spring/summer 2023. The advice can be adjusted if a latest wave of infection were to emerge because of this of the large change within the country’s vaccination program.

Switzerland shouldn’t be the primary to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccination. England already withdrew its booster recommendations for healthy individuals below 50. Denmark did the identical last 12 months.

Meanwhile, the U.S. remains to be advising a primary series for unvaccinated people. The country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can also be expected to officially authorize a second bivalent booster for spring in the approaching weeks.

Tens of millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses have already been administered across the country.
AFP / Frederic J. BROWN