Austria announces the end of compulsory corona vaccination - "Does not get anyone to vaccinate"

Created: 06/23/2022, 15:14

By: Marcus Giebel

In Austria, compulsory corona vaccination should prevent worse things from happening in the fight against the pandemic.

But now politicians are cashing in on their law again after a few months.

Munich – Austria draws a line under the subject of corona vaccination.

The law, which was put on hold anyway, will be abolished, as Health Minister Johannes Rauch explained.

The Green politician stated resignedly: "The obligation to vaccinate does not get anyone to vaccinate."

At the end of last year, compulsory vaccination against Covid-19 was announced and applied from February.

In contrast to Germany, where the Bundestag fought in vain for a viable regulation, all parliamentary parties apart from the FPÖ supported the procedure in the Alpine republic.

Austria was seen as a pioneer across the EU, since other countries only had age-specific regulations.

Corona vaccination requirement in Austria abolished: law provided for fines from mid-March

The original plan was to threaten a fine of up to 3,600 euros from March 15 on all citizens who refuse to be pricked.

But even before this date, there were signs of a move away from compulsory vaccination.

At that time, the government of the conservative ÖVP and the Greens said that the requirement was not proportionate to the prevailing Omicron variant.

Rauch now explained that the debate about compulsory vaccination had opened up deep rifts among families, clubs and companies.

But especially at a time marked by many worries, massive inflation and the Ukraine war, society needs solidarity.

The Minister of Health also emphasized that with a view to further corona waves, the population must be convinced of the usefulness of a booster vaccination.

And Austria can only do that if the willingness is based on voluntariness”.

No more general corona vaccination obligation: The law in Austria became obsolete after a few months.

© Martin Schutt/dpa

No longer mandatory corona vaccination in Austria: Not even two thirds have full vaccination protection

The threat of mandatory vaccination and the associated fines have not been able to counteract the significant drop in interest in injections since the beginning of the year.

Rather, since March there has been a particularly pronounced lull in the vaccination stations.

On Wednesday (June 22) only 140 first vaccinations were registered, 3500 people were vaccinated again.

Currently, 62.4 percent of Austrians have a valid vaccination.

As in Germany, the number of new corona infections is currently increasing significantly in the neighboring country.

The seven-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants is given as around 550.

The number of patients in the normal wards of the hospitals has also recently increased again.

The situation in the intensive care units has so far remained unchanged.

The occupancy of the beds with Covid 19 patients is similarly low there as in summer 2021.