The project has been approved by a wide range of the political class. About 72% of the population of 8.9 million inhabitants has a complete vaccination scheme at this stage.
Le Monde with AFP
Despite a virulent opposition in the street, the Austrian Parliament adopted, Thursday, January 20, the law on compulsory immunization for all adults, becoming the first country of the European Union to take such a measure to fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The project, announced in November to boost a staggering immunization campaign, has been approved by a wide range of the political class (137 for, 33 against 183 seats). The measure will come into effect on February 4th.
“Vaccination is the chance for our society to achieve sustainable and continuous freedom, without the virus restricting us,” said Conservative Chancellor, Karl NEHAMMER, in front of the press before opening the session. It is “a subject that is the subject of a very intense and passionate debate,” he recognized.
The objective, insists the government, is not to impose force vaccination or multiply financial penalties. These will be able to go from 600 to 3,600 euros but will be lifted if the offender is vaccinated within two weeks.
Events every weekend
In addition to the Greens, Conservative Coalition Partners, Social Democratic and Liberal Parties have supported. Only the extreme right is opposite, in the name of the protection of individual freedoms.
The head of the FPÖ, fiercely anti-theftaccine, has castigated during the debates “a project paving the way to totalitarianism in Austria”. “We do not have a majority today in Parliament, but we have it outside,” Harmerté Herbert Kickl promising to challenge the law.
Many Austrians are standing against the text and manifest almost every weekend by tens of thousands. In this tense climate, the government fears overflows and announced this week the implementation of “protection perimeters” on the edge of the health facilities, vaccination centers and tests.
72% of The population already vaccinated
This vote then intervenes that Austria has never registered as many cases positive, on the background of propagation of the Omicron variant. Nearly 30,000 infections in twenty-four hours have been identified, Wednesday, in this country where it is usual to be tested before going to a concert, for example.
About 72% of the population of 8.9 million, at this stage, has a complete vaccination scheme, a lower percentage than that of France or Spain. According to figures communicated by the Ministry of Health, remains to be convinced a million and a half adults. In particular, a lottery was announced, with, at the key, a reward of 500 euros for vaccinated.
To give time to the recalcitrants who will all receive a letter of convocation, the control phase will only begin mid-March. A time concerned, minors over the age of 14 are ultimately not subject to this measure.
Mandatory Vovid-19 vaccination makes its way into a growing number of countries for certain occupations or population categories. But the taxation to the entire adult population remains unprecedented in the EU and very rare in the world.
