More Transparency: Switzerland Must Disclose Covid Vaccine Contracts
During the Corona pandemic, Switzerland purchased many millions of vaccine doses to protect the population. For a long time, the exact details of these contracts with pharmaceutical companies remained secret. Now, the Federal Administrative Court in St. Gallen has ruled that the contracts with the companies Moderna and Novavax must be published.
The court ruled that the public interest in transparency is more important than the business secrets of the pharmaceutical companies. Since a great deal of taxpayer money was spent on purchasing the vaccines, citizens have a right to know what conditions are in the contracts. Previously, much of the information, such as the exact prices per dose, was not known.
Specifically, it concerns the agreements made by the federal government for the procurement of vaccines. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) originally did not want to show these documents in full. The authorities feared that future cooperation with the companies could become more difficult if all confidential details were made public. However, the court saw it differently and strengthened the Transparency Act.
This ruling is an important step for freedom of information in Switzerland. It shows that state actions must be transparent for the population, even in times of crisis. By disclosing the contracts, the public now gains better insight into the decisions made during the pandemic.