Vienna | The Austrian Parliament is due to adopt the law on compulsory vaccination for all adults on Thursday, becoming the first country in the European Union to take such a measure to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Vaccination is our society’s chance to achieve lasting and continuous freedom, without the virus restricting us,” Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer told reporters before the session opened.
It is “a subject which is the subject of a very intense and passionate debate”, he acknowledged.
The project, announced in November to boost a faltering immunization campaign at a time when the number of infections was soaring, is supported by a large section of the political class.
In addition to the Greens, coalition partner of the conservatives, the leaders of the social democratic and liberal parties called to vote for. Only the extreme right is opposed to it, in the name of the protection of individual freedoms.
However, many Austrians are up in arms against the law and demonstrate almost every weekend by the tens of thousands.
In this tense climate, the government fears overflows and announced this week the establishment of “protection perimeters” around health establishments, vaccination and test centers.
This vote comes as Austria records a record number of cases, against the backdrop of the spread of the Omicron variant.
Nearly 30,000 infections in 24 hours were announced on Wednesday in this country where it is customary to get tested before going to a concert, for example.
About 72% of the population of 8.9 million inhabitants has at this stage a complete vaccination schedule, a lower percentage than France or Spain.
The objective, insists the government, is not to impose vaccination by force or to multiply the fines. These can range from 600 to 3600 euros but will be lifted if the offender is vaccinated within two weeks.
According to figures provided by the Ministry of Health, one and a half million adults have yet to be convinced. A lottery has notably been announced, with the key to a reward of 500 euros for those vaccinated.
To give time to recalcitrants who will all receive a summons, the control phase will not begin until mid-March.
A time concerned, minors over the age of 14 are ultimately not subject to this measure.
Compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 is gaining ground in a growing number of countries for certain professions or population categories. But taxation of the entire adult population remains unheard of in the EU and very rare in the world.