Austria's Covid-19 Vaccine: What's The Law?

In February 2022, Austria became the first country in Europe to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all adults. The law, which was signed by President Alexander Van der Bellen, means that all adults in Austria must receive the COVID-19 vaccine or face fines of up to €3,600 ($4,120) per year. This decision was made in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19 and increase vaccination rates, especially in regions with lower vaccination uptake, such as Upper Austria.

The Austrian government scrapped its 'vaccine apartheid' rules in favour of a full nationwide lockdown

On February 17, 2022, Austria's coalition government announced a seismic U-turn in policy, relaxing almost all 'Corona Apartheid' rules targeting the unvaccinated. This came despite previous promises to keep unjabbed individuals under perpetual lockdown. From February 19th, regulations banning the unvaccinated from bars and restaurants were relaxed, and vaccine passes were all but abolished on March 5th. The government also announced a roadmap for the relaxation of COVID measures, allowing the unvaccinated to enter bars and restaurants with a negative test result.

Austria's vaccine apartheid rules had been controversial since their inception. The country had been the first Western nation to make COVID vaccines mandatory for everyone, with Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announcing on February 1, 2022, that everyone would be legally required to have a COVID vaccine. This decision was met with intense social debate and opposition from anti-vaxxers, who organised rallies and protests in support of the so-called 'freedom convoys'. The mandatory vaccination law was suspended on March 9, 2022, and a commission of experts was established to re-evaluate the situation.

The Austrian government's decision to scrap its vaccine apartheid rules in favour of a full nationwide lockdown was likely influenced by the intense social debate and opposition to mandatory vaccinations, as well as the recognition that the measures were not effectively reducing COVID cases. The government also faced practical challenges, such as door-to-door checks on vaccination status and the enforcement of fines for non-compliance.

While the scrapping of vaccine apartheid rules provided some relief to the unvaccinated, Austria still maintained certain COVID-related restrictions. The use of high-class FFP2 masks remained mandatory on public transport and in supermarkets. COVID certificates were also required for hospitals and nursing homes, and proof of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test was necessary for entering Austria from abroad.

Austria is the first Western nation to make Covid vaccines mandatory for everyone

Austria has become the first Western nation to make Covid vaccines mandatory for everyone. As Covid cases surge, the Austrian government has announced a full lockdown and plans to make Covid vaccines mandatory from February 2022.

The lockdown

From Monday, all Austrians will be confined to their homes except for "essential" reasons, with all non-essential shops and most schools closed. The lockdown will initially last for 20 days, with a review after 10 days.

The vaccine mandate

The Austrian government has announced that from February 1st, 2022, Covid vaccines will be mandatory for everyone. Those who are unvaccinated will face unspecified "penalties". Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said that fines, rather than criminal penalties, are likely to be imposed on those who do not comply. The details of the penalties are still being worked out.

The context

Austria currently has one of the highest Covid infection rates in Western Europe, which has been blamed on its sluggish vaccination drive. Just 66% of people are fully vaccinated, above the European average of 62% but well below the 70% needed for herd immunity. The country reported 15,809 new cases on Friday, a one-day record, with an infection rate of 990.7 per 100,000 over the last week, one of Europe's highest.

International reactions

The decision by the Austrian government to make Covid vaccines mandatory has sparked a debate about the ethics and legality of such a move. While some have argued that it is necessary to protect public health, others have criticised it as an infringement on individual freedoms and a violation of human rights. Protests have also broken out in Vienna, with demonstrators rallying against the vaccine mandate and the lockdown.

The way forward

The Austrian government's decision to make Covid vaccines mandatory is a controversial one, and it remains to be seen whether other Western nations will follow suit. The success of this mandate in increasing vaccination rates and reducing Covid cases will likely influence the decisions of other countries facing similar challenges.

Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced that from February 1, 2022, everyone will be legally required to have a Covid vaccine

On February 4, 2022, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen signed into law a national COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults in Austria. This made Austria the first country in Europe to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory, though other countries had already implemented vaccine mandates.

The new law, which was announced by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, made it mandatory for all adults in Austria to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or face fines of up to 3,600 euros (US$4,120). Unvaccinated people in Austria were already banned from restaurants, sports, and cultural venues, and with the new law, they could be fined up to four times a year. The maximum fine could be waived if individuals got vaccinated within two weeks.

The Austrian government argued that mandatory vaccination was the only way to increase vaccination rates, especially in regions with low vaccination coverage, such as Upper Austria. At the time of the announcement, Austria had a fully-jabbed rate of 66%, just below the European average of 67% and below the theoretical level of 70% needed for herd immunity.

The vaccine mandate was met with opposition and protests, with critics calling it an attack on freedom and democracy. The law was eventually suspended in March 2022 after an intense social debate, with a commission of experts re-evaluating the situation.

Unvaccinated people in Austria are banned from restaurants, sports and cultural venues

Austria has become the first Western country to make Covid vaccines mandatory for everyone. Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced that from February 1, 2022, everyone will be legally required to have a Covid vaccine.

Unvaccinated people in Austria are currently banned from restaurants, sports and cultural venues. They are liable to be fined from €600 to €3,600 (US$687 to US$4,120). Unvaccinated adults will be given time until March 14, 2022, to comply with the vaccine mandate, with compliance checks beginning on March 15, 2022. The maximum fine of €3,600 (US$4,000) can be imposed up to four times a year, but these fines can be waived if the individuals get vaccinated within two weeks.

The Austrian government's decision to make Covid vaccines mandatory has been controversial. There have been protests against the vaccine mandate, with some demonstrators holding banners with slogans such as "Fake pandemic" and "Stop the COVID cult now". The opposition leader, Herbert Kickl, has declared that Austria "is now a dictatorship" and called on the country's top court to intervene, saying that the vaccine mandate is "unconstitutional".

The Austrian vaccine mandate will be implemented in three stages. Firstly, all households will be informed of the new law by March 15, 2022, through an official letter delivered by post. Secondly, Austrian police will start spot-checking people's vaccination status and issuing fines. Finally, those who refuse to show proof of vaccination by a certain undetermined deadline will be automatically fined.

The Austrian vaccine mandate will be implemented in three stages

Stage 1: Announcement

On February 1st, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced that Covid vaccines would be mandatory for everyone in Austria. This came as a response to the country's low vaccination rate of 66%, which is below the European average of 67% and the theoretical level of 70% needed for herd immunity. The Health Minister, Wolfgang Muckstein, assured the public that the move was legal and would undergo a "proper review period" before being implemented.

Stage 2: Implementation

Following the announcement, Austria became the first Western nation to make Covid vaccines mandatory for everyone. Door-to-door checks on mRNA injection status were conducted, and those who remained unvaccinated faced fines of up to €3,600 per year, with the possibility of being fined up to four times annually. This caused a lot of controversy, with some people protesting against the mandate and others supporting it.

Stage 3: Suspension

On March 9th, the Austrian government announced that the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination law would be suspended and would not come into force as planned in mid-March. This decision was made after an intense social debate and opposition to the mandate. A commission of experts will re-evaluate the situation in mid-June, and it is unclear if and when the mandate will be reinstated.

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