Vaccination

We strongly recommend that all vulnerable people get a booster in autumn/winter 2022/2023. Everyone else aged 16 or over can also get a booster. This is particularly recommended for health professionals and carers of vulnerable people.

Who is recommended to have a booster in autumn/winter 2022/2023?
When should I get my booster?
Which vaccine is recommended?
I had my booster in summer 2022. What applies for me?
Where can I register for a vaccination?
I am pregnant or trying for a baby. What are the recommendations for me?
Can children and adolescents be vaccinated?
I haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 yet. What are the recommendations?
Who covers the costs of the vaccination?
How is the vaccination documented?
Statistics on the COVID-19 vaccination
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Documents

Situation in autumn/winter 2022/2023

At the present point in the pandemic, almost everyone in Switzerland has been vaccinated and/or had COVID-19. Your immune system will therefore have dealt with coronavirus. Furthermore, the virus variants currently circulating tend to cause a milder form of the disease than earlier variants.

Thus the base position is different and the vaccination recommendation has been adapted accordingly.

Who is recommended to have a booster in autumn/winter 2022/2023?

We strongly recommend that vulnerable people have a booster. The following are considered vulnerable:

People aged 65 and over
People aged 16 and over with a chronic disease
People aged 16 and over with trisomy 21
Pregnant women

Coronavirus is likely to be more prevalent again in autumn/winter 2022/2023 as people have increasing contact with each other indoors. Therefore the risk of COVID-19 infection may be increased throughout the winter. Vaccination offers vulnerable people at least temporary improved individual protection against severe COVID-19 and its complications.

Furthermore, anyone aged 16 and over can get a booster. These people are at very low risk of contracting severe COVID-19. Boosters offer slight, short-lived protection against infection and mild disease. This can be important particularly for health professionals and carers of vulnerable people. Boosters are therefore recommended for everyone who would like to reduce their risk of infection for professional and/or personal reasons (moderate/low recommendation level).

Vaccination is also recommended for anyone who is not yet vaccinated against COVID-19. You will find further information in the “I haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19 yet. What are the recommendations?” section.

One dose of vaccine will generally be administered as a booster.

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When should I get my booster?

You can have your booster once four months have elapsed since you were last vaccinated against COVID-19 or since you had confirmed coronavirus infection.

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Which vaccine is recommended?

For your booster, you should ideally have a variant-adapted (bivalent) mRNA vaccine or the protein vaccine from Novavax if these are available (see further below for exceptions for certain groups). The type of vaccine you had in the past has no impact on the choice of vaccine you receive for your booster.

As far as mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) vaccines are concerned, either existing (monovalent) vaccines or variant-adapted bivalent vaccines are suitable. Current data show that the mRNA vaccines used to date also provide good protection against severe forms of the disease (including hospitalisations) with the new Omicron variants.

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I had my booster in summer 2022. What applies for me?

You can obtain a further booster in autumn/winter 2022/2023 once four months have elapsed since your last booster.

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Where can I register for a vaccination?

Your canton is responsible for implementing the recommendation on vaccination. On your canton’s website you’ll find answers to the following questions: How is the vaccination organised? How can you register? There is a list of cantonal websites at foph-coronavirus.ch.

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I am pregnant or trying for a baby. What are the recommendations for me?

Since you are pregnant, you are classed as vulnerable. We therefore recommend the COVID-19 vaccination before or during pregnancy.

This is because the risk of pregnant women suffering severe symptoms is higher than the risk facing non-pregnant women of the same age. In addition, an infection may increase the risk of premature birth. Booster vaccination before or during pregnancy protects both you and your unborn child.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should have an mRNA vaccine.

Are you trying for a baby? If so, you should get yourself vaccinated.

Are you already pregnant? If so, we recommend the vaccination from 12 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. from the 2nd trimester). In principle, it is also possible to get vaccinated at an earlier stage of pregnancy. Studies show that the vaccination is safe even in the first trimester.

If you’re pregnant or are trying for a baby and have questions on vaccination, talk to your doctor or midwife.

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Can children and adolescents be vaccinated?

Vaccination is not currently recommended for children and young people under 16. The risk of children and young people contracting severe COVID-19 is very low. Almost all of them already have antibodies against coronavirus because they have been vaccinated and/or have recovered from COVID-19.

Any non-vaccinated children and young people who would like to have the vaccine can do so subject to the existing recommendations.

Exception: It is recommended that non-vaccinated children and young people aged 5 to 15 years who have a chronic disease receive one dose of vaccine.

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I haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 yet. What are the recommendations?

If you are vulnerable:

We recommend that you have two doses of COVID-19 vaccine four weeks apart.

If you are not vulnerable:

We recommend that you have one dose of vaccine. We do so because almost everyone in Switzerland has had coronavirus at least once by now. Your immune system has therefore already dealt with the virus. Having one dose of vaccine reduces the likelihood of having severe symptoms at least temporarily.

Alternatively, you can have two doses of vaccine four weeks apart. This option can be considered primarily if it can be assumed that you have never been infected or if you plan to travel abroad.

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Who covers the costs of the vaccination?

The costs of a recommended COVID-19 vaccination are covered by compulsory health insurance. The costs that are not covered by health insurance are borne by the federal government and the cantons.

Do you have compulsory health insurance in Switzerland? Then the vaccination is free of charge for you. You don’t have to pay any deductible or co-payment.

Even if you do not have compulsory health insurance in Switzerland, the recommended COVID-19 vaccination is free of charge for you in the following cases:

Your permanent or habitual place of residence is in Switzerland. (This applies, for example, to people who work for a diplomatic or consular representation or an international organisation, including members of their families, and to posted workers, students and retired people.)
You are a cross-border commuter. Please ask your employer for more information about how vaccinations are organised.
You are a Swiss citizen living abroad or an immediate family member (partner, child, parent, parent-in-law) living in the same household as the Swiss citizen living abroad.

For these groups the costs of the COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland will be covered by the federal government.

The costs will not be covered if you are not in one of the groups listed above. This is the case, for example, for travellers from other countries such as tourists or business travellers. You should have the COVID-19 vaccination at your place of residence.

You will find more detailed information on the funding of the COVID-19 vaccination on the page for health professionals (in German, French and Italian).

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How is the vaccination documented?

Every COVID-19 vaccination is documented. Below you’ll find information on the various possibilities for documenting the vaccination.

Proof of vaccination/vaccination record

At most vaccination locations, you will receive printed proof of vaccination from the healthcare professional after you have been vaccinated. This proof of vaccination indicates the date and location of the vaccination, as well as providing information on the vaccine administered (trade name, manufacturer and batch number). At some vaccination locations, you can have the COVID-19 vaccinations entered directly in your vaccination record.

The proof of vaccination is a medical certificate and not an official document.