A push to make Coronavirus vaccinations mandatory in Austria is set for its last parliamentary hurdle on Thursday.
The Bundesrat, which represents Austria’s provinces, will debate the measure and is expected to vote late in the afternoon, the measure is expected to be approved.
Meanwhile, compulsory vaccination would then officially apply to almost everyone aged 18 and older in the near future.
However, exceptions would be allowed for certain groups, including pregnant women and people who have recently survived a COVID-19 infection.
The law is considered the most far-reaching in the EU so far, Greece and Italy have introduced compulsory vaccination for older citizens.
The implementation is to take place in several phases. Random checks will be carried out from March 15, it is not yet clear if comprehensive controls will be implemented at a later date.
Also, fines for violations can reach up to 600 pounds (675 dollars). If those affected appeal and lose, they could face fines of up to 3,600 pounds at the end of the procedure, the administrative courts expect a flood of complaints.
The vaccination rate in Austria currently stands at 69 per cent, that is a decline from recent weeks because hundreds of thousands of second-stage certificates are now invalid because their validity period was recently reduced from nine months to six. (dpa/NAN)