Compulsory vaccination in Austria takes effect starting February 1

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Compulsory vaccination will apply throughout Austria starting Feb. 1, but that doesn’t mean everyone will have to get vaccinated.

Compulsory vaccination goes into effect next Tuesday and is to apply to a total of 7.4 million adults in Austria. That’s 83 percent of the population. If one cannot show the vaccination proof with the control of the police, one is penalized starting from 16. March. 600 euros must be paid then with a penalty order. People who do not comply with the vaccination requirement can be fined a maximum of four times per calendar year. The fines can go up to 3,600 euros, a substitute custodial sentence is explicitly excluded.

But not everyone has to face a sting. Vaccination exemptions must be evaluated by specialists, according to the Ministry of Health, and should only be able to be issued by public health officers, epidemiologists, and hospitals. It is still unclear whether previously issued certificates will lose their validity as of Feb. 1. However, mental illnesses will probably no longer suffice for an exemption from vaccination.

Exempted from vaccination are:

COVID-19 vaccination law only applies to persons 18 years of age or older.

who cannot be vaccinated without risk to life or health or who cannot be successfully immunized for medical reasons. “Due to the increased hazard and risk of severe courses of COVID-19, as well as a higher rate of preterm birth, vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly recommended in pregnancy beginning in the 2nd trimester, depending on the vaccination status. However, since pregnancy is a medically very sensitive phase, especially in the first trimester, there are concerns that any complications in pregnancy could be unfoundedly attributed to vaccination. In the 1st trimester, vaccination against COVID-19 is therefore not recommended due to theoretical considerations,” the Ministry of Health states.
For 180 days from the date of sampling of the positive PCR test.
Individuals allergic to individual ingredients of the approved COVID-19 vaccines are not required to be vaccinated.
One is exempt from Corona vaccination up to 6 months after an organ transplant. Whether there is a reason for exclusion beyond this time should be discussed with the attending physician or health care provider.
Acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a systemic inflammatory disease that occurs in 30-60% of patients after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, cord blood transplantation, or bone marrow transplantation. Individuals suffering from this disease are exempt from mandatory vaccination.
Affected persons are exempt from vaccination until three months after a stem cell transplant – after consultation with the physician in charge.