With the coming winter months, the seasonal flu will arrive, a disease that is not always harmless. Therefore, the flu vaccine is recommended for high-risk individuals and their close contacts.
Flu Vaccine: This year again, the flu vaccine is recommended for high-risk individuals from six months of age, including those with chronic conditions like heart or respiratory diseases, pregnant women, premature infants, and all individuals over 65 years old.
Flu Vaccine
The vaccination continues to be recommended for those who are in close contact, either professionally or personally, with high-risk individuals. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Federal Vaccination Commission (FVC) particularly recommend vaccination for people living in the same household, healthcare personnel, staff in daycare centers, elderly care facilities, and family members of infants under six months of age.
These infants are at high risk for complications but cannot be vaccinated. The vaccine is also advised for people in regular contact with poultry or wild birds to avoid contracting both an animal flu virus and a human flu virus simultaneously.
National flu vaccination day at medical practices and pharmacies
The best time to get vaccinated against the flu is from mid-October until the beginning of the flu wave, which typically occurs between mid-December and mid-March. On National Flu Vaccination Day, people across Switzerland can get vaccinated, even without an appointment, at many medical practices and pharmacies.
This year, National Flu Vaccination Day will take place on Friday, November 8, 2024. The initiative is organized by the College of General Medicine (CMB) in collaboration with the Swiss Medical Association (FMH), the Swiss Pharmacists Society (pharmaSuisse), and the FOPH.
Flu Vaccine for COVID-19 protection
The flu vaccine against COVID-19 protects against severe outcomes of the disease. It is therefore recommended for those at high risk: individuals over 65, people 16 years and older with one or more pre-existing conditions or Down syndrome, and pregnant women. For others, vaccination is not recommended as the risk of severe illness is very low without risk factors. Although it offers limited protection against infection or mild symptoms, the COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the risk of developing post-COVID-19 conditions. The ideal time to get vaccinated is between mid-October and December.
The FOPH recommends that high-risk individuals get vaccinated against both flu and COVID-19. The two vaccinations can be administered one after the other, at any desired interval, or simultaneously.
Cost coverage
If a vaccination is recommended and administered in a hospital or by a doctor, the mandatory health insurance covers the costs, minus the deductible and co-payment.
Even individuals for whom the vaccination is not specifically recommended can get vaccinated following individual assessment and decision. They and others getting vaccinated at a pharmacy offering the service must cover the vaccination costs themselves.
