The federal government is already thinking about the next corona vaccination

The federal government is preparing for the next vaccination campaign. For the time being, until the end of 2023, the vaccine will be purchased through the federal government. There is also talk of an autumn vaccination for the coming year. However, the question arises whether this is “already happening in the usual structures”, as the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) stated in November in an exchange of views with the cantonal doctors.

However, the BAG does not want to be precise yet, it said when asked: “Given that the epidemiological situation can continue to develop dynamically, it is still too early for concrete statements about the autumn of 2023,” says spokesman Simon Ming. “In principle, different scenarios are conceivable.”

Transition to normal operation

Behind the scenes, the transition to normal business operations is being prepared. Then the cantonal centers should no longer be responsible for the Corona-Piks or nasal swabs, but the standard structures – ie doctors’ surgeries and pharmacies – should suffice. “The BAG is preparing the guided transition together with the cantons,” says the minutes of the November meeting, which are available at Blick. A strategy for this should be available by March at the latest.

However, the transition could be faster than expected. One of the cantonal doctors noted that “with the current development, cantonal structures will soon no longer be necessary”. That means: the willingness to vaccinate is declining enormously.

This is also evident from last week’s federal figures. The booster rate remains low, especially among the older population. Just over a third of seniors have been vaccinated in the past six months. Even among the over-80s, less than half got the fourth spade.

Cantons must stimulate vaccination demand

The federal government is concerned about the lack of demand and is therefore putting pressure on the cantons. “Cantonal doctors are asked to invest in promoting demand,” the FOPH called for action in another conference call. It refers to the “major cantonal differences”: while Basel, Bern and Neuchâtel are advancing slightly faster, Obwalden, Uri and Jura are clearly lagging behind.

The agency has ideas on how to stimulate demand: “To increase vaccination coverage in people at risk, the cantons can undertake activities that make access to vaccination more accessible or point to the vaccination advice for this target group.” explains BAG spokesman Simon Ming.

Think of information campaigns, mailings, mobile advice and vaccination offers or vaccination centers where vaccination is possible without registration. He does emphasize that it is up to the cantons to implement the vaccination advice.

Cantons withdraw offers

“We expected that more people would want to be vaccinated for the second booster vaccination,” says the cantonal top doctor Rudolf Hauri (62) to Blick. “Especially fewer of the risk groups received the booster than expected.” There are many reasons for this. Some would have recently experienced the disease, others wanted to wait and see how it developed. “And some are afraid of side effects,” says Hauri. “That’s why they prefer to accept an infection and hope for a mild course.”

Even though the cantons consider the incentive benefits for risk groups to be proven, there will no longer be any question of targeted stimulation of demand. “People know they can get vaccinated,” says Hauri. “A real campaign is no longer necessary.”

The trend is rather in the opposite direction. “In several cantons, offers are reduced,” says Hauri. In 2023, the cantonal structures are likely to be largely dismantled. “It is estimated that most cantons will have largely closed their centers by spring.”

For example, the canton of Solothurn has just decided to allow only the cantonal vaccination centers to continue to operate until the end of March 2023. After that, the vaccination operation “must be transferred to the health care institutions (hospitals, doctors’ practices and pharmacies) with the corresponding federal regulations,” he writes. in a statement.

Another booster in the fall?

Nevertheless, Hauri is already looking forward to next fall. “In principle, another booster should then be possible, especially via the control structures,” says de Zuger. However, whether a booster vaccination is necessary depends on the further course of the pandemic and the recommendations of the vaccination committee. “There will be more virus mutations,” Hauri says. “But if the effects remain manageable, as they are now, there will no longer be a need for a broad vaccination campaign.”

As far as the current corona development is concerned, the confirmed new infections have been slowly declining for weeks. “But the wastewater monitoring shows that there could be another increase,” says Hauri.

However, he does not believe that corona will throw a spanner in the works again for those who enjoy Christmas. “This year we can celebrate normally again,” says Hauri. “And if not, this time it will be more because of the flu and other colds than because of Corona.”