Austria suspends coronavirus vaccine mandate

Requirement for adults to get jabbed is halted before it was even enforced, with a review planned in three months.

Austria is suspending its coronavirus vaccine mandate, the government said on Wednesday, effectively ditching a general requirement for adults to get jabbed against COVID-19 before even getting around to enforcing it.

The Alpine country became the first Western democracy to decide on making vaccination compulsory during a record-breaking wave of infections last November. No other European country has gone as far, although Italy does require people aged over 50 to be vaccinated.

The decision to impose the mandate was taken amid political instability, and the wrangling that ensued caused the measure that was finally adopted to be a clumsy combination of carrots and sticks. The vaccine mandate entered force a month ago but fines for noncompliance of up to €3,600 were only due to take effect from mid-March — and were never actually imposed.

https://www.politico.eu/article/austria-suspends-coronavirus-vaccine-mandate/