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Fact check: Switzerland modified COVID-19 vaccine recommendation. It didn't ban the vaccine.

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Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·3 min read
A health worker administers a dose of COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic in Reading, Pa. On Friday, Feb. 3, 2023.

The claim: Switzerland banned COVID-19 vaccine

An April 10 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) features a screenshot of an article published by Pamela Geller, a far-right, anti-Muslim activist.

"Switzerland Bans the COVID Vaccines," reads the article's headline.

Similar versions of the post have been shared on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Our rating: False

The COVID-19 vaccine isn't banned in Switzerland. The country isn't recommending vaccination for the spring and summer of 2023 because of high vaccination and recovery rates across the country. However, the vaccine is still available for high-risk individuals who consult with a doctor.

Vaccine not banned in Switzerland

The article, which features a Substack post written by mRNA vaccine critic Robert Malone, misrepresents Switzerland's recent announcement about the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health is not recommending a COVID-19 vaccine for spring and summer of 2023, as nearly everyone in the country has either been vaccinated or contracted and recovered from the virus, its website says. The vaccine isn't banned, however.

The office predicts the virus will likely circulate less during this time and those that do contract the virus will experience mild symptoms. High-risk individuals can still receive a vaccination if they have a consultation with a doctor, according to the office's website.

Simon Ming, a spokesperson for the office, told USA TODAY there haven't been any changes to the risk evaluation of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

"The COVID-19 vaccinations are still considered to be safe and have not been 'banned,'" Ming said in an email. "The vaccination recommendations have been updated several times in the past, based on the analysis of the epidemiological situation in Switzerland and the immune status in the population, among other factors."

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The office's website says the vaccination recommendation would be adjusted if a wave of infection emerged during spring or summer.

Luke Mircea-Willats, a Moderna spokesperson, told USA TODAY the online claim is false.

"The latest authorization was Moderna’s COVID-19 bivalent vaccine... which was approved in Switzerland in March 2023," Mircea-Willats said in his email.

Alvar Paz, commercial manager of Novavax in Europe, also told USA TODAY in an email that the company's COVID-19 vaccine is still available in Switzerland.

Tesia Williams, a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson, told USA TODAY the company has decided to stop distributing its COVID-19 vaccine in Switzerland due to declining need and the availability of other vaccines.

USA TODAY reached out to the users who shared the post for comment. Geller did not offer evidence of a ban when contacted by USA TODAY.

The claim has been debunked by AFP as well.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, Switzerland didn't ban COVID-19 vaccine