Austrian parliament set to vote on universal vaccine mandate amid COVID surge

Amid concerns over the rapid spread of Coronavirus fuelled by the Omicron variant, the Austrian parliament is set to vote on a universal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults on Thursday, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The report further stated that it will be the first of its kind in Europe. The government's mandate would be applicable to all citizens aged 18 years and above, with exceptions for pregnant women, people with some specific health issues and those who recovered from COVID-19 infection in the last six months.  

The plan was formulated in collaboration with two of the three Opposition parties in parliament by Chancellor Karl Nehammer's governing coalition, which includes his conservative Austrian People's Party and the Greens. However, the far-right Freedom Party, the other opposition party, is adamantly opposed to the plan. The vaccine mandate is expected to become law at the beginning of February. To begin, authorities intend to send letters to each household in the country informing them about the new laws.

Authorities to check people's vaccination status from mid-March

As per the report, the police will begin monitoring people's vaccination status during routine inspections from mid-March. Those who would fail to produce vaccination's proof will be asked in writing to do so or else face the fine of up to 600 euros ($685), the report stated. According to Chancellor Nehammer, if officials believe the country's vaccination progress is still unsatisfactory, reminders will be sent to unvaccinated people. If that doesn't work, people will be sent a vaccine appointment and will be penalised if they don't show up, he stated. However, officials are hoping they won't have to resort to the last option, as per the AP. 

Vaccine mandate to remain in place till Jan 2024 

It is significant to mention here that the vaccine mandate is expected to last until the end of January 2024 and an expert panel will report on immunisation progress to the government and parliament every three months. The mandate was originally meant to apply to all citizens aged 14 years and above, but it was amended to 18 years after consultations with political opponents and others. In November last year, the Austrian government announced plans for a universal vaccine mandate, citing concerns that the country's immunisation rate was low compared to the rest of Western Europe. As of Wednesday (January 19), 71.8% of the country's 8.9 million population have been fully immunised, as per the AP.  

(With inputs from AP)

Image: AP