Presented Bill: This is how the compulsory vaccination in Austria should look like

Sunday 16 January 2022

Proposed law
This is how the mandatory vaccination in Austria should be

Takes the form of a planned mandatory vaccination in Austria. After an interim period, the draft law now issued imposes higher fines for violations. For example there should be restrictions on the road. The government is reluctant to vaccinate young people.

The Austrian government has introduced a draft law for a planned compulsory corona vaccine. Vaccination for adults over the age of 18 should come into effect as planned in early February, but those who have not been vaccinated until mid-March at an intermediate stage should no longer be penalized. Exceptions should be made for pregnant women and those who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons. Those who recover should be given an exemption of 180 days.

“We will decide on the compulsory vaccination as planned,” Federal Chancellor Carl Nehmmer told reporters in Vienna, along with Constitution Minister Caroline Edstadler and Health Minister Wolfgang McStein.

According to a draft law agreed upon by the ruling parties சமூகVP and the Greens, along with the Social Democrat SPÖ and the Liberal NIOS, the vaccine for young people between the ages of 14 and 17 must be voluntary. First, the government wanted to exempt children under the age of 14 from compulsory vaccination.

Those who deny the charge

Although technical registration of exceptions to the National Vaccine Register is not possible until April, the government is adhering to a start date beginning in February. After the interim phase until mid-March, all households must be notified in writing of the action, a plan that calls the vaccine a control offense. For example, anyone who fails to submit proof of vaccination at a traffic test will be fined between 600 and 3,600 euros.

The Austrian parliament is due to pass a mandatory vaccination law on Thursday. ÖVP and Greens can pass the draft with a simple majority. With the involvement of SPÖ and Neos, the government hopes for broader recognition. Only the right-wing populist FPÖ strictly rejects the mandatory vaccine. Opponents of the law, among other things, recommend vaccines that do not prevent the virus from spreading enough.

Nehammer: There is no struggle against those who are not vaccinated

“It’s not about getting vaccinated against those who haven’t been vaccinated,” President Nehemiah said. Rather, it is about the whole community being able to live freely again. He tested positive in January. But he always had the confidence that he would not have to go to the hospital because he was vaccinated, he said. According to Nehmar, he recovered quickly.

In Vienna, tens of thousands of people took to the streets again on Saturday against the planned compulsory vaccination. About 27,000 people followed the protest call, which was backed by the FPÖ, according to police. Many participants were arrested for violating the mask requirement or for paying homage to Hitler.

Like many European countries, Austria is currently struggling with the new wave of corona, which is mainly driven by the highly contagious Omigran variant. Due to the high number of infections, the federal government has again classified the neighboring country as a high-risk area since Sunday. There are warnings against travel to Austria – which can severely affect winter tourism in particular.