COVID vaccination compulsory in Austria, in EU first

It’s official: Austrians over the age of 18 must be vaccinated against COVID-19 from Saturday or face the possibility of a heavy fine, an unprecedented measure in the European Union.

The new measure, adopted on January 20 by Parliament, came into force on yesterday, the culmination of a process that began in November in the face of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

The government decided to pursue its new, tougher approach despite criticism within the country.

“No other country in Europe is following us on compulsory vaccines,” says Manuel Krautgartner, who has campaigned against the new approach.

In neighboring Germany, a similar proposal championed by the new Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz was debated last month in the lower house of Parliament, but many MPs still oppose the idea.