Austria's Mandatory Vaccination Bill on the Table
The first draft of Austria's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination bill is now available, and it details fines for the unvaccinated beginning in March 2022. Learn how much the fines could be and who may qualify for an exemption from compulsory vaccination.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is expected to become mandatory in Austria beginning in February 2022. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Secretary of Defense, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
Despite protests from some of the population, the Austrian government seems to be moving forward with the plan for compulsory vaccination, and the first draft of the controversial compulsory vaccination bill is now available.
Three vaccinations required
The draft of the vaccination bill reportedly includes three vaccinations.
There is a first vaccination, a second vaccination (no earlier than 14 and no later than 42 days after the first vaccination), and a third vaccination (no earlier than 120 and no later than 270 days after the preliminary vaccination).
The bill recognizes vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
Fines for non-compliance
All unvaccinated people who are 14 or older should receive an invitation to vaccinate on February 15.
As expected, the draft of the bill stipulates fines for those who do not comply.
The ORF reports that the draft states that unvaccinated people will be punished starting on March 15.
According to the ORF, “The draft provides for a fine of € 600 every three months. The maximum fine is € 3,600 or € 2,400 per year. The Minister of Health can define groups of people who have to pay lower fines by ordinance.”
Exceptions
The draft of the bill reportedly does provide for exceptions to compulsory vaccination.
Children and adolescents under 14 years of age and pregnant women will be exempt.
Additionally, those who have already recovered from the virus will be exempt for six months from the day the positive test was taken.
The ORF has also reported that there are exceptions for people who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons. However, a medical certificate is required to qualify for this exemption.
Additionally, if the reasons for the exception no longer apply, for example, after the birth of a baby, the vaccination requirement applies after the end of the following month.
Talks ongoing
This is just the first draft of the bill, and talks among the various political parties and health experts are ongoing.
In addition, the ORF reported that all of the religious communities recognized in Austria as well as youth, school, student, and pensioner representatives were invited to share their views on the topic.
All of the participants agreed that Austria needs to increase its vaccination rate.