Thread by @CoronaEnglish

Today (19.12.2020) Alain Berset announced that Swissmedic has approved the vaccine for Switzerland. Read all relevant information from the BAG press conference in this thread.
#CoronaInfoCH #Switzerland #Vaccine #Pfizer #Impfung

Raimund Bruhin, Director of Swissmedic: ‘It is a very safe vaccine. We reached a milestone today. Since spring, there has been an exchange with research groups. They have been able to evaluate documents ever since. The safety aspect nevertheless played a very important role.

The vaccination is not permitted for 16 year olds.

The direct exchange with Pfizer was particularly intense, says Bruhin. Enough data have been collected to allow the vaccination to be approved. The expert committee HMED discussed the findings and came to a positive recommendation.

Philippe Girard, Head of Approvals, says clinical trials have also included people aged 65 and older. You have to vaccinate twice, within three weeks. The benefits outweigh the risks. Side effects are similar to the flu shot and may be more pronounced after the second injection.

Data on pregnant women are not yet available.

Claus Bolte, Head of Approval, speaks about effectiveness and quality. The basis for the approval is the vaccination study with 43,000 participants mainly in the USA, 36,000 participants came for evaluation.

A few hundred thousand (outside of Switzerland) have already been vaccinated. Clinical data shows that the vaccine is nearly over 95 % effective.

There were sometimes local,undesirable side effects such as in the upper arm, redness, irritation and pain, there are also systematic undesirable effects such as muscle pain, nausea or general malaise, says Bolte. Some had allergic reactions (usually people with a known allergy)

A protective effect is to be expected one week after the second vaccination. This means that the protection is effective four weeks after the first vaccination. It is therefore important that the protective BAG measures (social distancing etc.) are still taken seriously.

Why no approval for under 16y olds?
“A few hundred under 16s were tested. That is not enough to grant admission to this study group. Additional tests are needed”

“While other vaccines feel like a mosquito bite – this one feels like a bee sting”.

Anne Lévy (BAG): «After careful examination, Swiss Medic has approved a first vaccine» That is good news. «We expect the first 100,000 (or so) doses of the vaccine in the next few days.” Then we start to vaccinate the risk groups.

Older people and those with previous illnesses have first priority. Second priority is the medical staff and people who are close to people from the risk areas.

"The 15 million vaccine doses will not be available from the start," says Anne Lévy. That is the reason why prioritization is needed – to protect vulnerable people. "We also want to protect the medical staff."

All others who do not belong to the three priority levels will be vaccinated later. "That will probably be the case in spring," says Lévy. And: "There is no compulsory vaccination and vaccination will be free for everyone”, says the BAG.

Even those who are vaccinated must continue to adhere to the corona rules, Lévy says. “Because we don't know how long you will be infectious despite being vaccinated.”

The army is in contact with Pfizer and Biontech. "Our locations are equipped in such a way that we can transport and store large quantities of the vaccine," said Aschenbach from the Swiss Army. "All safety precautions are in place."

"The vaccination is an early Christmas present," says Mr Jordi, Head of Health Ministry Conference. "However, it is like a voucher that can only be redeemed later," he says in analogy. The cantons will receive the vaccination in stages.

For example, in Lucerne there are 4,000 doses out of every 100,000 doses Switzerland gets – and in smaller cantons perhaps only 500 doses, Jordi calculates. There are many challenges to face.

“Not everything will work from the start,” says Jordi. The cantons and Switzerland are "well served" by the fact that the vaccination is already available. "Swissmedic's decision is a milestone and the cantons are happy about it." But still much is to be done

Why should you get the vaccine?
Lévy (BAG): «You can have confidence in the vaccination. I'm also counting on the media to convince people to vaccinate. With the vaccination you do not only protect yourself, but also others."

How large are the delivery batches CH gets?
“We expect 107,000 doses. From January onwards, 250,000 doses a month »That is still unconfirmed, but based on verbal agreements with Biontech and Pfizer.

Lévy: “It went quick. Both the federal government and the cantons have been taken by surprise. But we are happy that we were taken by surprise. The cantons are flexible enough to be able to administer the first vaccinations now»

«The quarantine will continue to apply to vaccinated people» says Lévy.

Aschenbach: "It takes two vaccinations, so only a little more than 50,000 people could be vaccinated in a first step" However, there are two million people in the first prioritization group, says Masserey.

"In six months we will have all 15 million doses," says Lévy. This provided that a second vaccine is approved by Swissmedic.

When will the first cantons start to vaccine?
Jordi: «I can't say that. The cantons' vaccination plans were based on different scenarios and must now be adjusted."

Masserey: “We still don't know whether the vaccination protects against transmission. Therefore we need a few months, maybe a year, until we have results.”