The shots are recommended at nine and 12 months, to be administered at the same time as the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to new recommendations released on Monday by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Federal Vaccination Commission. In issuing these guidelines, to go into effect on January 1st, 2023, Switzerland is joining 45 other countries that recommend chickenpox vaccine as part of their public health policies. Why are Swiss health authorities recommending this vaccine? There are two main reasons: health and economic. On the health front, although chickenp ..read more

Health Minister Alain Berset caused a collective groan throughout the country on September 27th when he announced that health insurance premiums will jump by 6.6 percent on average in 2023 — the sharpest hike in two decades. While premiums will go up throughout Switzerland, residents of some cantons will have to pay more for healthcare than their counterparts in others. The highest, above-national-average premiums will hit Neuchâtel (+9.5 percent), Appenzell Innerrhoden (9.3 percent), Ticino (9.2 percent), and Zurich (+7  percent), though all residents of Switzerland will have to dig deep ..read more

Autumn and winter mean shorter days, colder nights and often a range of health challenges. Not only are seasonal colds and flu circulating, but low temperatures and light levels make it more difficult to keep in shape, and moods dip.  Together with international health insurance broker ASN, we identify proven ways in which you can stay fit, healthy and happy as the year draws to a close.  Cold, coughs and flus – oh my!  Avoiding the cold and flus that come with the cold weather can be difficult, but there are some things that you can do to minimise the risk, that go beyond wash ..read more

We’ve all done it. That strangely swollen toe, tingle in the throat or persistent headache. Simply type your symptoms into the online search bar and watch as the diagnoses appear. With the click of a button, innocent symptoms evolve into life-threatening illnesses, or maybe your scary medical dilemmas dissolve away, reassured by the information on your screen.  In partnership with AXA – Global Healthcare, The Local looks at the risk and rise of the online self-diagnosis. When your own research goes wrong A quick look at Reddit uncovers hundreds of tales from medical professionals sharing ..read more

Based on the information released by Santésuisse, an umbrella group for health insurance companies, an overall increase of around 4 percent for 2023 will be the norm. Unfortunately for the consumers, who are already hard-hit by rising energy costs, premiums for compulsory health insurance will likely rise by an average of 5 percent in the fall, according to online price comparison site, Comparis. And many people could even see their premiums soar by more than 10 percent in 2023 — the sharpest hike in premiums in 20 years. The exact amounts of premiums for all policyholders will be released by ..read more

Switzerland has been moving tentatively in the direction of the legalisation of cannabis for several years. This has created a contradiction where personal recreational use is tolerated but the wider trade is still illegal. The anomaly is bound to end eventually and the pilot projects are part of that process. READ ALSO: Swiss region to test legalising cannabis Also part of the process is the relaxation of access to cannabis for medical purposes. Starting from August, Swiss doctors are permitted to prescribe cannabis to their patients. Previously, the system was much more restrictive with pati ..read more

The current outbreak began in Europe in May, when the virus began spreading rapidly outside areas in Africa where it has long been endemic. The virus, which is rarely fatal but can cause extremely painful lesions, has overwhelmingly affected men who have sex with men, some of whom have sought to swiftly get vaccinated. Banner ad However some countries have had much larger and quicker rollouts of the only approved vaccine for monkeypox, a smallpox jab produced by Danish firm Bavarian Nordic and marketed in Europe as Imvanex. Belgium, for example, has just 3,000 doses, which are only avail ..read more

The procurement decision comes after LGBTQ groups and others have in recent weeks criticised the slow Swiss response after monkeypox in May began spreading rapidly far beyond the West and Central African countries where it is usually found. So far, more than 400 cases of the disease, which causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions, have been registered in Switzerland. But while vaccines have been available in a range of European countries, no jabs have until now been available in Switzerland. The Swiss government said in a Wednesday statement that it would purchase vaccine ..read more

There could be a variety of valid reasons why you’d want to bring meds into Switzerland. Perhaps it is because this pharmaceutical hub is nevertheless facing a shortage of some drugs, with the situation “continuously deteriorating since the start of June”, according to Enea Martinelli, chief pharmacist at the FMI hospital group in Bern. READ MORE: Switzerland faces drugs shortage Or maybe you are taking prescription medicines and need a supply while here. Whatever your reason is, there are laws regulating the import of medicinal products by individuals. Banner ad According to Switzerland ..read more

The Covid-19 pandemic has shed light on a crucial role nurses and other medical professionals play not only in managing a health crisis, but also the more mundane but nevertheless essential tasks involved in patient care. But according to the Swiss Association of Nurses, which launched the so-called ‘nursing care initiative’, more must be done to improve health employees’ work conditions and maintain high-quality nursing care. What is the proposal calling for? At the centre of the initiative is the shortage of nurses in Switzerland. About 10,000 caregivers are needed urgently right now, with a ..read more