COVID booster shots may be on their way in Switzerland, with the official regulator Swissmedic claiming that a third vaccination against COVID-19 may be given to the elderly as early as the end of October. However, the President of the Vaccination Commission in Switzerland has said the measure will not be necessary for the wider population.

Lack of evidence for using COVID booster jabs in Switzerland

Speaking on Swiss television, Head of Authorisation at Swissmedic Claus Bolte, said that if international companies that provide the vaccine “play along”, the third dose of vaccine may be approved in two to three weeks' time. Reporting in Blick made the case that the vaccine safety net had begun to fall for the elderly, with anecdotal evidence that the most vulnerable would benefit from a third jab.

Bolte reiterated that there needed to be solid proof, provided by the manufacturer or by other governments, that a third dose of the vaccine was effective. Swissmedic, the organisation that gives hospitals, doctors and the government advice on whether to give the jab or not, noted that it still had to differentiate between people who could benefit from a third dose and those who wouldn't.

Third vaccination against COVID-19 only used for elderly

Despite the comments from the regulator, President of the Vaccination Commission Christoph Berger said that it is unlikely that another shot will be necessary for the “normal population” this year. Alongside him, Head of the Office for Health in Zug Rudolf Hauri, praised Swissmedic for making decisions based “solely on available data and letting the facts guide their decision,” but hoped that a final decision would be made soon.

Concluding the meeting, Berger conceded that a booster shot for those over 80 would be valuable, as data from the UK showed vaccine protection may be waning in that age group. He said that if Swissmedic approved their use, it would only take two weeks for a new vaccination drive to begin.