Switzerland has become the latest country to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccination, citing high vaccination rates and natural immunity from prior infection, according to the country’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
The Swiss health agency has announced that no COVID vaccination is recommended for spring/summer 2023, including for those at high risk of severe illness.
According to health officials, nearly everyone in the country has been vaccinated or recovered from COVID, and their immune systems have been exposed to the virus.
“In principle, no COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for spring/summer 2023. Nearly everyone in Switzerland has been vaccinated and/or contracted and recovered from COVID-19. Their immune system has therefore been exposed to the coronavirus,” the announcement states.
Swiss health officials acknowledged that vaccination may be advisable for some individuals, though it is not recommended even for those at “high risk.”
The announcement reads: “In principle, it is also not currently recommended for people at especially high risk to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. They can, however, receive a vaccination following an individual consultation with their doctor. Vaccination may be wise in individual cases, as it improves protection against developing severe COVID-19 for several months. This applies regardless of the number of vaccinations you have already received.”
Swiss authorities have suggested that vaccination could be recommended again in the fall of 2023.
“For autumn 2023, the vaccination recommendation will be evaluated again and adjusted accordingly,” the announcement says.
