On November 19, Austria announced a mandate for the COVID-19 vaccine for all adults starting February 1.
They would the first country in Western Europe with a blanket requirement. At roughly 64%, Austria currently sports one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe (which is still higher than the US at 59%). Cases have skyrocketed, and daily deaths more than tripled in the country.
According to Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, a nationwide lockdown will begin on November 22. This is the first lockdown for all citizens since the spring. Before this, a lockdown for only the unvaccinated was instated. Unvaccinated people found in public by the police who were not working were fined up to $1660 for violation of the lockdown. Currently, the efficacy of the lockdown will be evaluated after ten days and will not go past December 13.
Since the announcement, protests have erupted across the country. In Vienna, an estimated 40,000 unvaccinated people flooded the streets to protest the measures. The protest was attended by notable far-right groups as well as everyday people and families. They cite the mandate as an infringement of freedom and liberty.
Videos and commentary on the protests have surfaced on social media. Twitter user @KonstantinKisin states “My Jewish great-grandfather died fighting Nazis in WWII to ensure that people of Europe could be free… This is medical fascism in which the state takes ownership of your body. Evil in the name of health is still evil.”
Though Austria is the first to officially mandate the COVID-19 but many nations have done so in all but name. In Italy, proof of vaccination is required for people to enter their place of work, Failure to comply will result in that person losing their job. France began charging unvaccinated people for COVID-19 tests and mandated vaccines for healthcare workers.
Want more updates on vaccination across Europe? Check out this article on vaccines being offered at Dracula’s
