Alex Story

Austria is becoming a nightmare for the unvaccinated

Protests against the vaccine mandate in Innsbruck, Austria (photo: Getty)


Salzburg, Austria

Across Austria, the streets are alive with the sounds of drums and cow bells. Ever since the Austrian government announced a vaccine mandate in November 2021, with vaccine refuseniks set to face fines, potential bankruptcies and possible prison sentences from February this year, demonstrations against the proposed measures have not ceased.

You can see why their fears are justified. Just a few days before the vaccine mandate was revealed, the authorities also stepped up their war on the unvaccinated by announcing that a new lockdown would be introduced – but that it would only apply to partially vaccinated and unvaccinated people. While these measures only lasted a short time before Omicron entered the stage and the entire country was plunged into its fourth lockdown, in mid-December the government announced that restrictions would be lifted, but only for the fully unvaccinated again.

While the ‘vaccine mandate’ sword hangs precariously over their heads before the measure is introduced in February, Austria’s large minority of unvaccinated people are essentially unable to participate in society. While the vaccinated are free to roam as they please, albeit with the proper paperwork, the only physical businesses the unvaccinated can visit are banks, food shops and pharmacies.

They barred from all other shops, businesses, theatres, restaurants, bar, museums. The list as long as it is depressing. Every shop window now has a sign warning those who haven’t had the jab to stay out. Some shops redouble the humiliation by inviting ‘unvaccinated’ clients to ring a bell and wait until they can be served – outside – in Austria, in winter.

Looking at international tables, it is not obvious why the leaders of Austria have chosen these extreme measures now. The country is doing neither better nor worse than its neighbours in terms of the percentage of fully vaccinated or deaths per 100,000 people.

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