Austria’s Lower Parliament Votes to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines for All Adults

If the measure passes the upper house, Austria would be the first EU nation to impose such a mandate

Demonstrators hold flags and placards as they march to protest against COVID-19 restrictions and the mandatory vaccination in Vienna, Austria, on Dec. 4, 2021. Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Austria edged closer to implementing a compulsory COVID-19 vaccination mandate for most adults on Thursday after parliament’s lower house voted in favor of the proposal.

A majority of MPs backed the bill by 137 votes to 33, according to local reports. It is now expected to pass parliament’s upper house before being signed by President Alexander Van der Bellen.