Austria, first EU member to impose vaccine against COVID-19

Austria's Parliament on Thursday adopted the decision that the vaccine against the Coronavirus of all adults in the country is mandatory starting in February.

Thus, Austria becomes the first EU member of this decision, despite tens of thousands of citizens continuing to protest such measures in Austria and throughout Europe.

The law enjoyed broad support in parliament, with only far-right lawmakers voting against it.

After an opening “=x1> ending in mid-March, those who refuse to take the vaccine will face fines of up to 3 thousand and 600 euros. The mandate applies only to adults and makes exceptions to pregnant women and those under medical conditions that prevent them from taking injections.

“Vaxing is an opportunity for our society to achieve sustainable and constant freedom, because the virus cannot limit us further”. Chancellor Carl Nehammer said, writes Dw.

Austria, which has a population of about 9 million, has had almost 14,000 deaths linked to COVID and 1.5 million infections since the beginning of the pandemic. Until about 70% of the population is completely vaccinated.

Austria now joins Ecuador, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, and Minnesota as one of the only countries in the world that have made the vaccine mandatory.