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COVID-19 VACCINES

First Swiss canton opens registrations for children’s Covid vaccines

The Swiss canton of Bern has become the first to open registration for children to get the Covid vaccine.

Published: 16 December 2021 17:34 CET

A child receives a vaccine against Covid-19

Bern is the first Swiss canton to open up vaccine registration for children. Photo: Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP

Residents of the Swiss canton of Bern can now register their children to get the jab with the VacMe portal.

The canton allows up to two children from each family to be booked under the same booking.

READ MORE: How can I get my children vaccinated against Covid in Switzerland?

This makes Bern the first canton to open registrations for children to get the jab.

Bern said registration is mandatory for anyone wanting their children to get the jab.

While Switzerland this week approved the vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, the first shots are not expected to be administered until January 2022 at the earliest due to a lack of supply.

Switzerland has already struggled to meet surging demand for boosters, meaning that the approximately 600,000 children within that age bracket will have to wait.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 children are within that age bracket in Bern, cantonal authorities estimate.

The vaccinations will take place at special under 12 vaccination centres at the Inselspital in Bern, along with Biel and Thun.

More information about Switzerland’s Covid vaccination campaign for children can be found below.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Covid vaccines for children in Switzerland

You can find out the information for each canton, including how to register for vaccines and the procedures they have in place, here.

Do children get the same vaccine as adults?

In a press conference on December 13th, Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset said children do not receive the exact same vaccination and dosage as adults.

“It is a vaccination that is specially produced for children to protect them from severe courses and long covid.”

Children receive a lower dose of the vaccine than adults.

The amount of this dose is not expressly specified and will be a decision made by the doctor on the basis of the child’s age and weight.

Member comments

Anonymous - 17 December 2021 at 12:07 CET

Will any side effects on children be reported or suppressed?

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Switzerland to start dual-strain Covid boosters in October

Less than two weeks after drug regulator Swissmedic approved the new version of the Moderna vaccine, which should better target certain sub-variants of Omicron, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) said on Friday the shots will be available to some groups of the population from October 10th.

“The vaccination recommendation for autumn 2022 aims primarily to protect vulnerable people against a severe form of the disease. On the one hand, people aged 65 or over, and on the other hand, those aged 16 to 64 with an increased risk, for example due to a pre-existing disease or pregnancy”; FOPH said in a statement on Friday.

After that, those “aged 16 to 64, without risk factors and who work in acute and long-term care, or who care for vulnerable people in a professional or private capacity” will be eligible for the shots, FOPH said.Health officials noted that while the number of Covid infection is currently “relatively low, an increase in transmissions of the virus is expected from the fall of 2022. The risk of contracting Covid-19 and the burden for the health system could therefore increase again”.

It added, however, that “the situation differs markedly from that of the last two winters; currently, 97 percent of the population have antibodies against Covid following vaccination or recovery. “People without risk factors are unlikely to develop severe symptoms this fall”.

Dual-strain vaccine

In recent trials, the new Moderna vaccine demonstrated “higher antibody concentrations against the Omicron variants” than the manufacturer’s original Covid vaccine, Swissmedic said.

The previous vaccine was effective against early strains, like Alpha and Delta, offering no immunity against Omicron or its sub-variants, which are currently responsible for all the coronavirus infections detected in Switzerland.

“Compared to the original vaccine, trials have shown that this [vaccine] produces a stronger immune response against the Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.4/5″, Swissmedic said, adding that the new vaccine remains as effective as its predecessor against the original Covid viruses.

Additionally, “a careful review of the application documents submitted on an ongoing basis showed that the vaccine meets the safety, efficacy and quality requirements », the agency noted.

Also, in terms of secondary effects, they are expected to be “similar” to those following administration of the second dose and the first the booster of the original vaccine: fever, muscle pains, and headaches.

According to FOPH, “the bivalent mRNA vaccines, which are tailored to the Omicron BA.1 variant, should be preferred for booster vaccination. However, it is still possible to use the current monovalent mRNA vaccine”.

Additionally, protein-based Nuvaxovid doses will also be available.

READ MORE: BREAKING: Switzerland approves new Covid-19 boosters

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