Austria suspends mandatory Covid vaccination law

 EU’s first such rule dropped just a month after it took effect, as minister says it can no longer be justified  

The Alpine nation of nine million people was among few countries in the world to make jabs against the coronavirus compulsory for all adults.

The law took effect in February and called for fines up to 3,600 euros ($3,940) from mid-March for those who do not comply.

But minister Karoline Edtstadler said the law's "encroachment of fundamental rights" could no longer be justified by the danger posed by the pandemic.

"After consultations with the health minister, we have decided that we will of course follow what the (expert) commission has said," Edtstadler told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

"We see no need to actually implement this compulsory vaccination due to the (Omicron) variant that we are predominantly experiencing here."

The highly-contagious variant is widely believed to be less severe than previous strains of the virus, and so far Austrian hospitals have been able to cope with a surge in cases.

This has led to the government to drop most coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks.  

The government has stressed it needs to act flexibly in line with the epidemiological situation.

"Just like the virus keeps on changing, we need to be flexible and adaptable," Edtstadler said.

The decision to suspend the law will be reviewed in three months, said Johannes Rauch, who took over as health minister this week as the third since the start of the pandemic.

 

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220309-austria-suspends-mandatory-covid-vaccine-law