Sharp drop in vaccination rate in Switzerland

The vaccination rate in Switzerland has decreased since mid-June, according to public radio RTS.

This content was published on Jul 09, 2021 – 19:01
Jul 09, 2021 – 19:01

Unless the trend is reversed, only 60% of the vaccinated population will likely be reached and not the 80% target, RTS said after analyzing recent statistics from the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP).

The number of vaccine doses taken fell from a record high of nearly 650,000 in the second week of June to less than 450,000 three weeks later, a 30% drop. It was reduced from about 90,000 injections per day to 63,000 (week ending July 4th).

Only 52% of people living in Switzerland received at least one dose. The best protection now are those between the ages of 70 and 79, who are outnumbered by those over the age of 80.

RTS comments on the possibility that some people are waiting for the summer vacation to return to register, so it is possible that the fall vaccination rate will rise.

However, Switzerland now has a surplus of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses, and managing these perishable stocks may become a hot topic at a time when vaccines are short in developing countries.

Although the number of coronavirus cases remains relatively low in Switzerland, it is starting to rise again. The delta variant is progressing and accounts for about 30% of new cases.

In total, 7.9 million doses were administered between the end of December 2020 and last July 7. About 38% of the population is fully immunized.