
The Austrian government presented this Sunday the project that provides for mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus for people over 18 years of age from February 1 , making it the first country in the EU to adopt a similar measure.
The main novelty is that it raises the compulsory vaccination age from 14 to 18 years, the first of the minor changes that the text could undergo to achieve greater support in Parliament, reports the Austrian public television, ORT. The vote is scheduled for next Thursday.
After approval, it is expected that controls will be installed on streets and highways to check if citizens are vaccinated with reference to the National Vaccination Registry, which already exists.
In the first phase, from on February 1 and until March 15, the rule does not provide penalties for those not vaccinated. Since then, fines of between 600 and 3,600 euros could be imposed. The law does not include prison sentences. A possible third phase includes, if necessary, the appointment of mandatory appointments for vaccination.
The plan the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, together with the minister for the EU, Karoline Edtstadler, presented; and the Minister of Health, Wolfgang Mueckstein. Nehammer explained that he hopes to have the votes of the government coalition and also of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPO) and the liberal Neos party. The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) continues in its anti-vaccine position.
Austria is one of the EU countries with a lower vaccination rate. On Saturday, some 27,000 people demonstrated in Vienna against vaccination in an FPO-backed event that featured Nazi salutes. There were several arrests for giving the Nazi salute and for not wearing a mask.
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