Breaking news as Austria is suspending its coronavirus forced vaccination mandate, the government said on Wednesday, effectively ditching a not yet enforced general requirement for adults to get jabbed against COVID-19. The European country of Austria became the first Western democracy to decide on making vaccination compulsory during a supposed record breaking wave of infections last November. No other European country has gone as far as Austria, although the neo fascist government of Italy still does require people aged over 50 to be vaccinated.
The decision to impose the forced vaccination mandate was taken during global political instability, and the wrangling that ensued caused the measure that was finally adopted to be a clumsy combination of carrots and sticks. The mandate entered force a month ago but fines for non compliance of up to €3600 were only due to take effect from mid-March, luckily they were never actually imposed. The government now finally has accepted the advice of an expert commission to suspend the forced vaccination mandate and will review the situation in three months, Die Presse quoted Constitutional Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler as saying.
The vaccine mandate sparked huge controversy in Austria, causing massive protests against the government's pandemic management. Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein quit last week after 11 months in the job saying he had been the target of death threats. Mückstein's successor, Johannes Rauch, is only in his second day on the job: "I know this pandemic is getting on everyone's nerves, in Austria and worldwide," he said. "But vaccination is an effective way to fight it and we will continue on this path."
But the minister Karoline Edtstadler said the law’s "encroachment of fundamental rights" could no longer be justified by the danger posed. Good news for Austrian human rights activists, as they eventually were successful at beating the neo fascists in their country.
Sources:
https://www.politico.eu/article/austria-suspends-coronavirus-vaccine-mandate/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/09/austria-suspends-mandatory-covid-vaccination-law