Corona virus: Austria discontinues compulsory vaccination

The Austrian government announced on Thursday that it was abandoning the policy completely Mandatory vaccination Against Govt-19. He already had Suspended in March, A month after it came into force. “We have to live with the Govt now, so we are going to implement a series of measures, that is, the end of compulsory vaccination,” Health Minister Johannes Raouch told a news conference in Vienna.

The strategy was “implemented in a different environment,” with crowded hospital units, he stressed. “But the Omicron variation changed the rules,” the environment minister said. Even those who have agreed to be vaccinated are now reluctant to give another dose. The law was not considered “medically or constitutionally necessary” by a panel of experts and has created “a deep divide within Austrian society,” Johannes Rauch explained.

The speech, which came into force on February 5, was an unprecedented move by the European Union (EU) and provoked strong opposition from a section of the 9 million population. All residents over the age of 18, except pregnant women, are infected with the virus within 180 days and are finally exempt for medical reasons. Checks will start in mid-March with fines ranging from 600 to 3,600 euros.

But in the end, the government decided to suspend the law because of the small risk of omicron variation. “There are currently many arguments to suggest that this attack on fundamental rights is unjustified,” declared Carolyn Edstadler, then in charge of the Constitution. Moreover, the law has failed to convince the reluctant.

Currently, about 62% of the population has a valid vaccination certificate, which puts Austria behind many Western European countries. The alpine country has mourned more than 18,700 deaths since the outbreak.