"Fine of 4.8 Million Won for Unvaccinated Individuals"… Austria Mandates Vaccination for Those Aged 14 and Above

Pregnant Women and Medically Exempt Unvaccinated Individuals Excluded from Mandatory Requirements

An 8-year-old child in Connecticut, USA, receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Austria will enforce mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for individuals aged 14 and older starting February next year. Violators will face a fine of 3,600 euros (approximately 4.8 million KRW) per quarter.

According to major foreign media, Wolfgang M?ckstein, the Minister of Health, held a press conference on the 9th (local time) to announce the mandatory vaccination plan.

According to the plan, the minimum age for mandatory vaccination is 14, and if the parliament approves the plan, it will be implemented from February next year until January 2024. Both the ruling party and the two opposition parties support the plan, making the introduction of mandatory vaccination virtually confirmed.

Pregnant women or those who cannot receive the vaccine for medical reasons will be exempt from the vaccination mandate. Additionally, if a person chooses to get vaccinated before the fine is imposed despite not having been vaccinated, the fine will be reduced to 600 euros (approximately 800,000 KRW).

On the 15th of last month, citizens lined up outside the Christmas market in front of Vienna City Hall, Austria, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. /Photo by Yonhap News

The Austrian Minister of Justice and Minister of Health stated, "We do not want to punish citizens who have not been vaccinated," adding, "We want to persuade them to get vaccinated."

Austria, currently considered one of the Western European countries with a low vaccination rate, has about 68% of its population fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Austrian government initiated a nationwide lockdown on the 22nd of last month. As a result, general stores except for essential shops were closed, and going out was restricted except for exceptional circumstances such as purchasing groceries, hospital treatment, or exercise. The government announced that with the implementation of the mandatory vaccination plan, the current lockdown measures will be lifted only for those who have been vaccinated or have recovered from infection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.