Corona infections are increasing again – but getting a vaccination is not that easy
The number of infections with Sars-CoV-2 will increase again. Vaccination is therefore recommended for people who are particularly at risk. However, this is no longer offered everywhere.
A vaccination against the coronavirus is being prepared.
Bild: Samuel Golay / Keystone/TI-PRESS
Major events such as Oktoberfest, Olma and autumn fairs are announced, and corona infections will probably increase again. The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) therefore recommends that people aged 65 and over, everyone with chronic illnesses and pregnant women get vaccinated. With the new Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, adapted to the JN.1 variant, which have been approved by Swissmedic.
In accordance with the BAG’s recommendation, an older couple from the canton of Lucerne wanted to be vaccinated. The search became an odyssey. The couple first checked with their family doctor. But he doesn’t vaccinate and can’t say yet whether he will offer the Covid vaccination at some point.
The couple then started looking for alternatives, but this turned out to be difficult: the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital does not vaccinate and the canton’s homepage no longer lists the vaccination options as it used to. “Things are also looking difficult for the pharmacies in Lucerne. One in five people asked said they would vaccinate – but only when they had received ten requests,” says the son of the parents who wanted to be vaccinated.
The search for the in-laws was similarly difficult in the canton of Schwyz, where there seem to be many inquiries from people who cannot find vaccination options. According to the cantonal medical service, the canton of Schwyz is currently looking for vaccinating doctors for a list of vaccination locations.
The Lucerne couple found a pharmacy in the canton of Schwyz where vaccinations were carried out, but they charged over 140 francs for it, which they would have had to shell out themselves. Health insurance companies only pay if the Covid vaccination is carried out by a doctor. The son will now travel with his parents to St. Louis, France, close to the border with Basel. There, the vaccination in the pharmacy costs around 11 euros, which is just right to combine it with a family outing.
We asked family doctors, pharmacies and the cantons what the situation is with the Covid vaccination.
What the family doctors say
There are general practitioners who do not vaccinate at all and those who only offer the vaccination to their own patients. If they offer this to everyone, the person wanting to be vaccinated will still have to solve the complications with the family doctor model, depending on their insurance status.
For the Swiss Association of General Practitioners and Pediatricians, Philippe Luchsinger says the situation with Covid vaccinations has changed. They were taken over by the federal government until the end of June and are now on the medication list. This means that the vaccines must be ordered directly from the wholesaler. “It is unclear in practices how many vaccinations are needed and how great the demand is,” says Luchsinger, the former president of the general practitioners’ association. “The practices will therefore be cautious, as the vaccinations are expensive – and unfortunately do not last long.”
For the practices, which are not a bed of roses anyway, every dose that is not vaccinated means a considerable financial burden. “Understandably, many people don’t want to take this risk.” Each practice is free to decide whether to offer vaccinations or not. The association had no influence on this and did not make any corresponding recommendations. However, Luchsinger assumes that general practitioner practices that do not vaccinate themselves know, at least in their network, who offers them.
What the cantons say
The question remains whether the cantonal health authorities will take care of those who want to be vaccinated. David Dürr, head of the Health and Sport Department of the Canton of Lucerne, states that general practitioners’ practices and pharmacies have no obligation to provide treatment – except in emergencies. If the family doctor’s practice does not offer vaccination, you have the option of looking for a “vaccination pharmacy” on the “ihre.apotheke.ch” website. “If talking to your family doctor or pharmacist doesn’t help, you have to look for another provider,” says Dürr.
The health department of the canton of St.Gallen writes that the canton has no knowledge of vaccinations in the canton. “However, we have not received any information that vaccination is not possible.” Patients with immune deficiency, autoimmune diseases, contraindications or pregnant women should register for the vaccination with their doctor. These high-risk patients cannot be vaccinated in the pharmacy.
The Covid-19 vaccination is often administered in combination with the flu vaccination. “The ideal time for the flu vaccination is from November. We assume that more family doctors will then be vaccinated,” writes the St. Gallen Health Department.
Communications manager Michel Hassler from the canton of Aargau says that his canton also has no overview of who is offering the Covid vaccination. “The cantonal hospitals of Aarau and Baden offer them via infectious disease departments,” says Hassler. There is no obligation for Aargau family doctors to offer the vaccination.
The health department of the canton of Basel-Landschaft explains that the Covid-19 vaccination will be handled in the same way as other vaccinations. Vaccine doses have therefore been able to be ordered by doctors or pharmacists directly from regular wholesalers since July 1st. «The canton of Basel-Landschaft has suspended its activities regarding the central ordering of Covid vaccines and their distribution within the canton. The cantonal remuneration of doctors and pharmacists for vaccination activities was also suspended.”
Anna Tschudin from the canton of Basel-Stadt advises those interested to inquire about the possibility at their pharmacy or family doctor’s office. “In Basel, for example, there are pharmacies in well-frequented locations in the city center that offer the Covid-19 vaccination.”
Rahel Haag from the canton of Thurgau also explains that doctors and pharmacists are not subject to any coercion. “An overview of which Thurgau pharmacies offer the Covid vaccination will be published on the website of the Office of Public Health in the next few days.” A related survey is currently underway at vaccination pharmacies.
Are the pharmacies ready?
“Not all cantons allow pharmacists to continue vaccinating against Covid,” says Martina Tschan from the Swiss Pharmacists Association pharmaSuisse (see graphic). Pharmacies are not obliged to offer vaccinations, which “unfortunately have to be paid for in the pharmacy itself. This vaccination is very expensive and many people do not want to pay for it themselves, which blocks vaccinations in the pharmacy.”
In addition, there are delivery difficulties with the vaccinations. «It is only possible to order a pack of 10 cans. Unfortunately there are no individual packs. The pharmacy that orders them must be sure that they can use all the doses,” says Tschan. The high price for a vaccination has primarily to do with the vaccine itself, which is expensive.
In addition, there is the price for administering the vaccination and subsequent monitoring of the vaccinated person. “The pharmacies can determine the price themselves,” says Tschan. It is impossible to say at the moment whether this will provide sufficient protection against Covid-19 in Switzerland.
In order for health insurance companies to pay for vaccinations in pharmacies, the Health Insurance Act (KVG) would have to be adjusted. “Unfortunately, this revision of the law has been on the parliamentary table for a very long time.” If a vaccination is prescribed by a doctor and recommended according to the BAG, the vaccination will also be paid for at the pharmacy.
