Vaccination obligation, fines up to 3,600 euros in Austria

In Austria, anyone who does not vaccinate against covid will have to pay a fine of between 600 and 3600 euros. This is what we read in the draft of the law on the vaccination obligation presented in parliament. The measure will take effect in February. Once contested, the fine can be avoided if you choose to get vaccinated, underlined the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, Karoline Edtstadler. There will be exemptions from the obligation for minors 14 years old, pregnant women, people recovered for less than 180 days or who cannot be vaccinated for proven medical reasons. More than a million people are not vaccinated in Austria, “that’s too many,” Edtstadler said. The draft law provides that every three months a comparison is made between the list of vaccinated people and that of residents, in order to identify who is not immunized. About 9 million people live in Austria. The provision on the vaccination obligation should have no problem with passing, given that it is supported by four of the five parties present in parliament. The country, which is currently in lockdown, is facing a serious wave of infections also linked to the insufficient number of vaccinations. Currently around 68% of the population is vaccinated. The obligation to immunize against covid should be valid for two years.