No sooner had the official recommendation been in than the Toppharm pharmacy on Paradeplatz in Zurich was flooded with registrations for the second booster. “Interest in free vaccination appointments has suddenly increased,” says owner Lorenz Schmid. “We used to vaccinate once a week. We now offer two vaccination days and are always fully booked.” The same goes for his professional colleagues, says the President of the Pharmacists’ Association of the Canton of Zurich.
In the most populous canton there has been since Thursday Dates for the second booster. A good 2500 appointments have been booked so far, of which almost 400 vaccinations were administered by Friday afternoon. Around 67,000 people would potentially be entitled to it. “As expected, interest in booster vaccinations is high at the start of the new vaccination campaign,” says spokesman Jérôme M. Weber.
Zurich: Second booster gives other vaccinations a boost
In general, the fourth vaccination is currently in high demand, says Weber. Also because of all those who can be boosted for the second time on their own account. An observation made by Schmid from the Association of Pharmacists: Since the BAG has recommended another booster vaccination to those over 80, third-party and travel vaccinations have also been in greater demand. “The summer wave, the increasing number of cases and the media focus on the second booster have sensitized the population.”
Schmid expects the peak to last up to four weeks: “Since we are currently testing more again, but additional temporary workers such as pharmacy and medical students are not available due to the examination phase, we really have our hands full.”
Demand fluctuates across Switzerland
Because it is not necessary to register everywhere for the fourth corona vaccination, only sparse numbers can be found from the cantons so far. From the Aargau, where the vaccination centers offer appointments without prior notification, it is said that it is still “too early” to say that there is interest. Spokesman Michel Hassler says: “Currently, about the same number of third and fourth vaccinations are administered in the canton of Aargau.”
in the Canton of St. Gallen again, the interest in the second booster is still low. Appenzell Inner Rhodesthe is in last place in the national vaccination statistics, so far speaks of “individual cases”. and Thurgau reported registrations “at an average level”. It sounds different Solothurn: “The vaccination appointments for the second booster for over 80-year-olds are in great demand, »says spokeswoman Mirjam Andres. Around 12,000 people in the canton of Solothurn would potentially be eligible for the second booster vaccination. “Almost 800 people have registered since Thursday.”
According to canton pharmacist Stephan Luterbacher, there is still room for improvement Lucerne. “Of the approximately 20,000 people who are entitled to a free second booster, 500 have secured an appointment or have already received the vaccination,” he says. “We hope that the registrations – online or by phone – will continue to rise in the next few days.” Also thanks to the three decentralized vaccination locations, which will complement the three vaccination centers in the hospitals from Monday.
They are also still “at a low level”. Registrations at the vaccination center Basel city. By the end of July, 200 people had secured an appointment, says spokeswoman Anne Tschudin. However, there are many spontaneous vaccinations. “Over 400 people have been vaccinated in two days. These walk-in vaccinations show that the interest is there.”