If the willingness of the Swiss population to vaccinate does not increase drastically in the coming weeks, our country is threatened with a strong fourth corona wave. The vaccination rate in Switzerland is currently “a bit” too low to prevent a renewed increase in the number of cases, warns epidemiologist and task force member Richard Neher (41) in an interview with the “Sonntags-Zeitung”.
The pressure on the hospitals will increase again, says Neher. Then there is the risk that the health system will reach its limits.
In regions with similarly low vaccination rates as Switzerland, this can already be observed, according to Taskforce member Neher. In the US state of Texas, for example, the number of cases has been rising sharply for weeks, and hospitals have had to postpone unnecessary interventions. This scenario also threatens Switzerland if the proportion of unvaccinated people over the age of 50 does not decrease as quickly as possible.
Expansion of the certificate requirement conceivable
The epidemiologist is now calling for rapid action on the part of politicians. Young people should also be targeted. A higher vaccination rate among the boys would help slow the spread of the virus.
Neher can also envisage an expansion of the certificate requirement. Those who were vaccinated, tested and recovered would also greatly reduce transmissions at smaller events. “An extended certificate requirement could help to flatten the wave that is building up,” says Neher. In addition, some indecisive people would probably get vaccinated as a result.
The federal vaccination campaign recently stalled. However, after the Federal Council announced on Wednesday that corona tests will be chargeable from October, demand increased. Queues were already forming in front of some vaccination centers. (zis)