HS analysis Austria introduces hard measures and they work, but it was too late – Virologist explains why vaccination is due in February

Berlin

Of Austria the corona situation is cold: contrary to explicit promises, society will once again be closed to all. Just a short time ago, Austria had time to launch a “lockdown for unvaccinated”, but the closure, which starts on Monday, will affect everyone.

On Friday morning, the Austrian government announced a possible 20-day social closure. At the same time, the government announced that a general vaccination obligation for all would come into force in Austria from the beginning of February, the first country in the EU.

The number of coronavirus infections in Austria is growing exponentially, coronary deaths are high, vaccine coverage is too low and hospitals are on the brink. The government estimates that there are no alternatives.

Less than 65% of the population has full vaccine protection. In Finland the figure is less than 72 per cent and in Germany less than 68 per cent.

Compulsory vaccination has been one of the biggest intimidation for coroner and conspiracy theorists since the beginning. Its threat was called for in protests in Germany and Austria as early as spring 2020, when the development of vaccines was still in its infancy.

The threat sounded unrealistic, and politicians said: of course, there will be no coercion. Now the road has been opened in Austria. In Germany, too, compulsory vaccination is supported and under consideration.

It seems that the coroners were involved in the realization of the image of horror they had created themselves. Not all unvaccinated are victims of disinformation who believe in conspiracy theories, but the contribution of incitement to false beliefs to too little vaccination coverage cannot be denied.

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It seems that the coroners were involved in the realization of the image of horror they had created themselves.

Compulsory vaccination startle many, but on the other hand is not new. Smallpox was overcome by compulsory vaccination, which was also valid in Finland.

In Germany, measles vaccination has become mandatory for a child this decade so that he or she can get a daycare place. The compulsory measles vaccination also applies to daycare staff.

Because of the emotional turmoil caused by the forced vaccination, it makes sense for it to take effect only in early February and not immediately, says an Austrian virologist Norbert Nowotny.

“Now is the time to discuss the facts about the vaccine on a broad footing. Now is the time for scientific reasoning, ”Nowotny told HS on Friday.

He describes the current vaccination strategy in Austria as a three-step model. There are already indications that the model works, and the virologist is not hopeless.

When Austria said unvaccinated people are losing their freedoms, and the number of people taking the first dose of the vaccine began to rise. This means that those who previously knowingly refused vaccination changed their minds.

The graphics compiled by HS clearly show the development.

Despite the rapid increase in vaccine volumes in early November, the crisis deepened sharply.

Indeed, the curtailment of unvaccinated freedoms works with a delay in the epidemic, even if it has immediately set in motion all those who have not been vaccinated. It takes six weeks from the first vaccination to full vaccination protection at the Austrian pace. It is a medium-term measure.

For this epidemic situation alone, it was too slow.

Of Austria the long-term means of the strategy is now compulsory vaccination, which will take effect in a month and a half. While waiting for it, the fastest vaccination procedure is used: the third, ie booster vaccination.

In Austria, booster vaccination is recommended for four to six months after full vaccine protection. Nowotny points out that there are already good experiences with booster vaccines in Israel.

But because the initial response to low vaccination coverage was too late, a closure is needed in Austria before the chosen vaccination measures can take effect.

“The infection rates are huge,” Nowotny justifies the closure. According to him, the closure will be scientifically evaluated after ten days and then decided on. Nowotny is sure another ten days will be needed.

In both Germany and Austria, virologists now recall warning of a violent fourth wave as early as summer.

“We warned, but politicians also had to listen to the economy,” Nowotny says calmly. Now it’s time to listen to the virologists again.