“I know there are a lot of people who are afraid of vaccinations,” Nehammer said, admitting that even his words as a man who had recently surpassed the covid-19 did not have to reassure them.
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According to him, the government takes the concerns of these people seriously and encourages them to dialogue. If they have distrust of politicians, which, according to him, no one can blame, they can talk about the issue with their doctor, he added.
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“It’s a big challenge we face,” said the 43-year-old people’s politician. According to him, the government will do everything in its power to fight the pandemic.
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Critics of the planned measure claim that people should have the right to decide freely whether they want vaccinations. According to them, they also point out the insufficient effectiveness of vaccination, but also the fact that the now predominant variant of omicron is milder than its predecessor.
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The bill envisages that vaccination will be mandatory for all citizens over the age of 18, although it was originally considered that the obligation will apply to all citizens over the age of 14. Exceptions will be, for example, pregnant women or people with medical reasons. The bill is due to be considered by parliament in a week.
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A national register of vaccinees will be set up
Austria has a population of about 8.9 million, or about 7.4 million over the age of 18, which is about 83 percent. 5.8 million Austrians now have valid vaccinations. Around 1.6 million of them are either not vaccinated or have expired, so they will need a booster dose.
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The authorities will start enforcing the law, which the government received a record number of 108,000 opinions and comments from private individuals and institutions, in mid-March.
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First, the checks will be random, and a nationwide vaccinated registry is due to operate from April. The unvaccinated will face a fine of 600 to 3600 euros. In any case, according to the Austrian media, no one should end up in prison for non-compliance with the vaccination obligation, not even those who do not pay the fine imposed.
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Austria, like other European countries, has been hit hard by the omicron variant these weeks. On Sunday, the authorities reported 15,419 new infections in the past day. It’s the most Sunday since the start of the pandemic.
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