Autumn vaccinations 2026: influenza, COVID-19 and RSV

Context

TL;DR

• Press release published on October 13, 2026.
• Influenza: recommended for people at high risk.
• National Weeks: from November 2 to 7 and from November 23 to 28, 2026.
• FOPH collaborates with CMB, FMH and pharmaSuisse.

Key facts

• Publication → 13 October 2026
• Influenza period → from mid-October to the beginning of the influenza wave
• National weeks → from 2 to 7 and from 23 to 28 November 2026
• Vaccinations → influenza, COVID-19 and RSV
• Promoters → CMB, FMH, pharmaSuisse and UFSP

The situation announced in Bern

The press release published in Bern on 13 October 2026 notes that the incidence of respiratory diseases is high during the winter half-year. Viruses and bacteria can affect the upper respiratory tract, bronchi and lungs. In Switzerland, influenza, RSV and COVID-19 cause thousands of hospital admissions every winter. Symptoms may begin mildly, resembling a cold, and then progress to a severe course. Vaccination against these diseases is therefore recommended for people at high risk.

Compared with the previous season, the recommendation against influenza remains unchanged. Those against COVID-19 and RSV, however, have been slightly modified.

In particular, vaccination against influenza is recommended for people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, people suffering from chronic diseases and children born prematurely between six months and two years of age. The infection can cause otitis media, pneumonia or myocarditis and, in some cases, neurological complications. In Switzerland, the most suitable window for vaccination runs from mid-October until the beginning of the influenza wave, generally expected between mid-December and mid-March.

COVID-19 and RSV

For COVID-19, vaccination is indicated from September for people aged 65 and over, people with certain underlying conditions or trisomy 21, and pregnant women with certain underlying conditions. For pregnant women without underlying conditions, however, there is no longer a systematic recommendation.

During the winter half-year, an RSV infection is the most common cause of hospital admission among newborns and infants. To protect them during their first winter after birth, vaccination during pregnancy or immunization of the newborn after delivery may be used. Vaccination is still recommended from age 75; in the presence of certain underlying conditions, the recommendation starts at age 65, while for people with serious underlying conditions and a very high risk of severe disease, it is already provided from age 18.

This year, the supply of some influenza vaccines is delayed both in Switzerland and in the rest of Europe. The press release nevertheless guarantees that everyone who wishes to do so will be able to get vaccinated before the beginning of the influenza wave. Detailed recommendations and epidemiological figures updated weekly are available at www.vaccinare-svizzera.ch. For a separate in-depth look at LAMal/cassa malati, Frontaliere Ticino provides a dedicated guide.

Operational details

Three calendars for three recommendations

The practical reading of the press release begins with a distinction: there is only one winter season, but time windows and categories do not coincide. Influenza vaccination falls between mid-October and the beginning of the wave, while for COVID-19 the recommendation for people at high risk starts in September. For RSV, timing depends on the objective: protecting the child during the first winter after birth or reducing the risk of severe illness in the people indicated.

What changes for families and older adults

Pregnancy does not lead to a single indication applicable to all three viruses. For influenza, it is among the situations for which vaccination is recommended. For COVID-19, in contrast, the systematic recommendation no longer applies to pregnant women without underlying conditions, while it remains for those with certain conditions. For RSV, vaccination during pregnancy is one of the two options for protecting the child during the first winter after birth; the other is immunization after birth.

Age must also be considered alongside the disease. Age 65 is an explicit threshold for influenza and COVID-19. For RSV, the general recommendation starts at age 75, drops to age 65 in the presence of certain underlying conditions and reaches age 18 in cases of severe conditions and very high risk. The three vaccinations therefore have different target groups.

The National Weeks in November offer a common access point: from November 2 to 7 and from November 23 to 28, 2026, interested people can receive advice and access all three vaccinations at participating medical practices and pharmacies. For a separate pathway on LAMal/cassa malati, the website offers a dedicated guide.

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Key points

From recommendation to vaccination

The operational pathway starts from a single source: www.vaccinare-svizzera.ch. The portal collects complete information on all vaccinations recommended in Switzerland and allows users to consult the detailed recommendations. The figures and epidemiological data are updated weekly.

Four operational steps

1. Consult the portal and read the information on influenza, COVID-19 and RSV. 2. Compare your situation with the indicated criteria: age, pregnancy, underlying conditions, trisomy 21 or premature birth when relevant. 3. Choose the correct window: COVID-19 from September onward, influenza from mid-October and before the wave, RSV during pregnancy or after childbirth to protect the child. 4. During the National Weeks, from November 2 to 7 and from November 23 to 28, 2026, contact a medical practice or participating pharmacy to receive advice and access vaccinations.

For influenza, delays in the supply of some vaccines concern Switzerland and all of Europe. The guarantee stated in the press release is that everyone who wishes to do so will be able to get vaccinated before the start of the influenza wave. The best period remains from mid-October to the beginning of the wave, usually expected in Switzerland between mid-December and mid-March.

The initiative is promoted by Collegio di medicina di base, in collaboration with FMH, pharmaSuisse and UFSP. For questions about the Vaccination Weeks, the press release indicates CMB at +41 31 370 06 70 and [email protected]. The contact details for the pharmaSuisse media service are also available at +41 31 978 58 27 and [email protected]. The portal also contains an area for healthcare professionals with basic specialist knowledge and downloadable information material.

To complete the process with a reference on LAMal/cassa malati, consult the dedicated guide.

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Source: admin.ch