Switzerland on Saturday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with immunisation set to start just after Christmas as the country battles rising coronavirus cases.
The Swissmedic regulatory authority said it had given the green light following a two-month rolling review.
Switzerland has been recording more than 4,000 new cases and 100 deaths every day. There have been a total of 400,000 infections and nearly 6,000 deaths since the pandemic began.
“After a meticulous review of the available information, Swissmedic concluded that the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech is safe and that its benefit outweighs the risks,” Swissmedic said.
Health Minister Alain Berset added: “We can start vaccinating in the coming days.
“Those who are particularly vulnerable will have priority,” he said, referring to the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
These amount to some two million people in Switzerland, which has a population of 8.6 million.
Produced by US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech, the vaccine is based on a new technology that uses genetic material in the form of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid).
“The level of protection afforded seven days after the second injection is over 90 percent in adults,” Swissmedic said of the data it reviewed.
The regulator said the most frequently-documented side effects were “comparable with those after a flu vaccination”.❐
