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Austria establishes commission to decide on mandatory Covid jabs

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Austria establishes commission to decide on mandatory Covid jabs
Will Austria's vaccine mandate go ahead? Photo: ALEX HALADA / AFP

Just weeks after the nationwide Covid vaccine mandate was signed into law, the controversial measure is in jeopardy.

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A new expert commission which will advise on compulsory vaccination has been set up to ensure any future action regarding the law will be supported on a scientific basis.

The commission will work with GECKO, Austria’s national crisis team.

The compulsory vaccination commission consists of the physicians Eva Schernhammer and Herwig Kollaritsch, medical lawyer Karl Stöger and legal scholar Christiane Wendehorst.

EXPLAINED: How Austria’s vaccine mandate will work

Austria's compulsory vaccination law – the first in Europe – is set to come into effect on March 16th, when “phase two” will mean police can also check vaccination certificates and report violations to the district administration authorities.

The commission will make its first report the week before, on March 8th.

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Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) pointed out Austria’s vaccination law was supported by a large majority and was drawn up in a joint process by the federal government with experts and parts of the opposition.

However, the law has come under increasing doubt, due to the stabilising Covid situation and the relaxation of Austria's Covid measures from early March onwards. 

After the announcement on Wednesday, Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein, from The Greens, spoke to ZIB2 about the relaxation of restrictions and said he “assumed” the vaccination mandate would still be implemented from March 15th.

Additionally, Mückstein said it is expected that the planned penalties for unvaccinated people will also be enforced from the same date. 

READ MORE: Will Austria’s vaccine mandate go ahead?

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