Austria Ditches Vaccine Mandate After Omicron Alters Calculus

Austria will scrap a law requiring coronavirus vaccinations, ending a controversial rule that was never fully implemented after social opposition and new virus variants forced the government to backtrack. Lawmakers are set to vote on ending the mandate as soon as Thursday, before an initial suspension was set to expire in August. The rule was no longer proportionate, failed to convince vaccine skeptics and wasn’t necessary in light of recent waves of the virus, Health Minister Johannes Rauch told reporters in Vienna Thursday.