Austria signs into law strict Covid-19 vaccine mandate

VIENNA: Austria became the first country in Europe to introduce the Covid19 vaccination obligation for adults after being enacted by President Alexander Van der Bellen on Friday.

Due to Austria’s drastic measures, those without a vaccination certificate or tax exemption may be fined the first € 600 ($ 680). Mandate compliance checks will begin on March 15th.

Pregnant people and those who cannot be vaccinated without endangering their health are exempt from the law, according to the Austrian Health Ministry’s website. 

The exemption also applies to people who recently caught Covid-19, and lasts 180 days from the date they received their first positive PCR Covid-19 test.

The new law will last until January 31, 2024 and could see unvaccinated people face a maximum fine of 3,600 euros ($4,000) up to four times a year if they are not on a vaccine register by their assigned vaccination date.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pushing for a vaccine mandate as part of the country’s Covid-19 containment strategy, and a key vote on a potential vaccine mandate is expected at the end of March. 

Both Germany and Austria have higher vaccination rates than the European Union average of 70.4% with two jabs, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. But their immunization rate, of 74% and 72.7% respectively, has not assuaged the concerns of health officials.

Legislation has already passed requiring vaccines for healthcare workers starting in March.

Germany has Europe’s second oldest population after Italy. On January 28, German Health Minister and epidemiologist Karl Lauterbach warned that the elderly population needed protection as many in those age groups remain unvaccinated.

There are four times as many unvaccinated Germans compared to the United Kingdom, and three times as many unvaccinated Germans compared to Italy, he added. 

Lothar Wieler, head of Germany’s infectious diseases agency the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), warned at the same press conference that hospitals and intensive care units are starting to fill up again as Covid-19 infections reached record highs. 

On Friday, the country reported a record 248,838 new cases.