Procurement of Covid-19 vaccines

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal authorities adopted a safety-oriented vaccine strategy. Accordingly, they procured vaccines from various manufacturers at an early stage, thus ensuring rapid access to effective vaccines for the Swiss population.

For the federal authorities, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was important to be able – through the vaccine procurement programme – to supply the population with the latest and best available vaccines. To mitigate the risk of supply failures, vaccines were procured from a number of different manufacturers. All vaccines whose use was recommended by the federal authorities were approved by Swissmedic. As a precautionary measure, the strategy involved the procurement of large volumes of vaccines. The volumes were designed to ensure that the entire population could receive the latest vaccines at any time.

This objective was achieved: in their review, the parliamentary Control Committees concluded that Switzerland had been in a position to ensure supplies of the best and latest vaccines available on the market for the Swiss population (cf. 2023 Annual Report of the CC, available in German / French / Italian).

Publication of procurement contracts for Covid-19 vaccines

In 2022, the contracts concluded on behalf of the Federal Council with the vaccine manufacturers Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, Janssen, AstraZeneca and CureVac were published by the FOPH; at that time, however, some information was redacted on the basis of exceptions specified in the Freedom of Information Act. This was done, in particular, because such procurement contracts are widely considered to be confidential at the international level. The redactions were also undertaken so as to protect the business and trade secrets asserted by the vaccine manufacturers.

Following appeals against the publication of the contracts with Moderna and Novavax in redacted form, the Federal Administrative Court ruled on 10 February 2026 that these contracts must be disclosed in unredacted form. A legal ruling concerning disclosure of the content of the contracts is thus now available, which is important in view of the presumption of confidentiality at the international level and the business and trade secrets asserted by the manufacturers. The Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA)/FOPH have therefore decided not to appeal to the Federal Supreme Court. These rulings became legally effective at the beginning of April 2026. The contracts in question are therefore to be fully disclosed.

Volumes and costs

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a huge demand for vaccines worldwide. Given the threats posed by the pandemic at that time and the extensive social and economic restrictions, numerous countries were seeking to procure vaccines. There was fierce competition for the limited numbers of vaccine doses available. It was thus important and in the interests of the Swiss population to obtain firm assurances from the manufacturers concerning contractually agreed volumes, and to provide appropriate payments. Otherwise, Switzerland would have lost out.

The terms agreed in the vaccine contracts, after lengthy negotiations, were determined by various factors – for example, how soon contractual obligations arose and how rapidly a vaccine would then have to be supplied.

Moderna

In the case of Moderna, the federal authorities were able to reserve the first 4.5 million vaccine doses at an early stage – in August 2020. By the end of the pandemic, the total volume was 31 million mRNA vaccines for around USD 32 per dose. The federal authorities thus assumed a financial commitment of around USD 980 million. In the course of the pandemic, mRNA vaccines were by far the most frequently administered type of vaccine in Switzerland, making a correspondingly important contribution to the management of the pandemic.

Novavax

In the case of Novavax, a million doses of protein-based vaccine were reserved, at USD 22 per dose, in December 2021. The federal authorities thus assumed a financial commitment of around USD 20 million.

Vaccine supplies and liability

In a pandemic, under the current Epidemics Act, the federal authorities, since 2006, have had a responsibility to ensure supplies of important medicines, if this cannot be assured through the usual private distribution channels. In view of the particular circumstances of a pandemic, the federal authorities may assume certain of the manufacturers’ risks during a special or extraordinary situation – for example, by reimbursing liability payments, should the need arise (so-called indemnity). However, manufacturers generally remain responsible under the normal Swiss liability regulations, such as the Product Liability Act, applicable for example in cases of manufacturing defects.

As the Swiss authorities recommended only authorised vaccines for use in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic, the liability risk was reduced. To date, no related liability claims have been submitted to the federal government.

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  At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a huge demand for vaccines worldwide. In this situation involving competition between numerous countries, it was important for the federal authorities to reserve high-quality vaccines for the Swiss population as soon as possible, and to obtain commitments for vaccines to be supplied at an early stage.

  For this reason, the federal authorities had, in particular, to provide manufacturers with, in some cases, extensive assurances of indemnity. This is due to the fact that any products required for an emergency such as an epidemic need to be developed very rapidly. Indemnity was, however, restricted: in Swiss law, there can be no complete exemption from liability. Manufacturers generally remain responsible under the normal Swiss liability regulations, such as the Product Liability Act, for example in cases of manufacturing defects. A manufacturer also remains liable in cases of unlawful intent or gross negligence.

  During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was also clear for the federal authorities that only vaccines approved by Swissmedic could be recommended for broad use among the Swiss public.

  The instrument of “indemnity” for manufacturers is commonly used internationally in pandemics: countries exempt manufacturers wholly or partly from liability claims for possible vaccine-related injuries, or offer them indemnity, while manufacturers in return undertake to develop and make vaccines available as rapidly as possible. This makes it possible to retain the capacity for action in emergencies and to provide the public with the necessary vaccines as quickly as possible. It represents a balancing of the interests involved – security of supplies and liability claims.

Further information

• Links

  Compensation and redress for vaccine-related adverse events | edi.admin.ch

Further topics