In a vote of 137 to just 33, the Austrian parliament has overwhelmingly voted to make vaccination against the Wuhan coronavirus mandatory for all residents over the age of 18.
The Austrian parliament voted to approve the new mandatory vaccination policity on Thursday night, which will include all adults over the age of 18 who have their primary or secondary residency in the country.
Austrians who have taken one or two doses most of the Wuhan coronavirus vaccines, except for the Chinese Sinovac or the Russian Spunik V vaccines, will be considered fully vaccinated but those who refuse to take the vaccine could face a fine of up to €3,600 (£2,994/$4,072), newspaper Kronen Zeitung reports.
Those who are not able to be vaccinated for medical reasons will be exempted from the mandatory vaccination along with pregnant women. Those who have recovered form the coronavirus will also be exempt for a period of six months after they recover.
From mid-March Austrian police will also be checking vaccination status during routine checks and traffic stops and giving out fines to those who can not prove they are fully vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus.
Some officers have expressed concerns regarding the enforcement of the vaccine mandate, stating that controls could damage their reputation in the eyes of the general public.
“It is incomprehensible to me why the police are used here, in such an excess of controlling activity. I’m even talking about the fact that the police are used here for political purposes quite inappropriately!” Werner Herbert, head of the police union AUF said.
While the vast majority of the member of the Austrian parliament voted for the measure, there populist Freedom Party, led by fireband Herbert Kickl, voted against the measure.
“Today is a day of shame for the Austrian Parliament and for our democracy,” Kickl stated on Facebook and added, “The FPÖ deputies have voted unanimously against this unjust law, which is the totalitarian low point… We will do everything possible to bring down compulsory vaccination with a majority of citizens.”
Kickl has been a sceptic of the government’s policies to combat the coronavirus, including both the lockdown measures and the mandatory vaccine policy.
“For us, it’s about voluntariness. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether they want to be vaccinated or not. No Austrian should be forced to vaccinate,” Kickl said earlier this week. Around 72 per cent of Austrians have been vaccinated so far.
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