ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland increased funds it has set aide to buy vaccines against COVID-19 to 400 million Swiss francs ($436 million), from 300 million francs previously, saying on Wednesday the additional infusion is necessary to ensure it can get supplies it needs.
Switzerland has already reserved nearly 10 million doses of prospective vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca that are now in late-stage trials. It is also in talks with additional manufacturers as it hopes to give first shots against the new coronavirus in the first half of 2021, should one be approved by national regulators.
(Reporting by John Miller and Silke Koltrowitz, editing by Michael Shields)