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Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Thursday

Helena Bachmann
Helena Bachmann - [email protected]
Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Thursday
Swiss soldiers Pricilla Schober (R), a medical assistant in civil life, and Ludovic Besson, a carpenter in civil life, speak in a quiet non COVID-19 emergnecy unit of the Pourtales Hospital in Neuchatel on March 25, 2020, after Switzerland deployed its army reservists to relieve hospitals under pressure from the outbreak of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). - Switzerland has called up thousands of army reservists to help in the battle against the new coronavirus, the first time it has done so since World War II. In order to relieve hospitals under pressure, the army announced it could mobilise up to 8,000 personnel. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Find out what's going on in Switzerland today with The Local's short round-up of the news.

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A single dose of vaccine is enough for some former Covid patients

High-risk people who have had a confirmed Covid-19 and a strong reaction to the first dose of the vaccine will now be able to forego a second dose, according the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Recent studies show that after the first dose, people previously infected with coronavirus had 10 times more antibodies than those who had never been contaminated, and they remain immune for at least several months.

This single dose will reduce side effects for those affected, and save vaccines for others.

Swiss are less likely to work abroad

Some 44 percent of Swiss people are willing to work in a foreign country, according to a joint survey by Jobs.ch recruiting firm and Boston Consulting Group.

Not only is this percentage below the international average, but it is also significantly lower than in surveys carried out in previous years.

For those who do want to work abroad, the most popular country is Germany, followed by the United States, Canada and France.

However, the trend is increasingly to work in nearby countries rather than go farther afield.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What are your chances of getting a job in Switzerland from abroad?

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Travel agency offers Covid vaccines to Swiss residents – but in Moscow

People who don’t want to wait for their Pfizer or Moderna shots in Switzerland can now travel to Russia to get inoculated, according to Travel Inside Magazine.

A Norwegian travel agency, World Visitor, is recruiting people from Switzerland, among others, to get Sputnik V vaccines in Moscow.

The agency is offering two options: for 1,499 euros, the tourist will fly to Moscow twice, get the two jabs at the airport, and each time fly right back to Switzerland. This way, no visa to enter Russia is needed.

The second option, which costs 1,999 euros, includes flying to Moscow twice, staying  for four days, and having the vaccine administered in a local hospital.

More foreign doctors are working in Switzerland

Last year, 37.4 percent of all physicians practicing in Switzerland have received their medical training abroad, according to the "Medical Statistics 2020" report released by the Federation of Swiss Doctors (FMH).

These numbers have been rising since 2014, when the percentage of foreign doctors stood at 31 percent.

The majority of foreign doctors come from neighbouring nations:  Germany (52.6 percent), Italy (9.1 percent), France (7.1 percent) and Austria (6 percent).

If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local please get in touch with us at [email protected]

 

 

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