Austrian lower house passes bill introducing COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Austria's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a bill that would make it compulsory for adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Feb. 1, the first such sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandate in the European Union.

The bill was supported by many lawmakers from two opposition parties, the Social Democrats and the liberal Neos, in addition to the government coalition of conservatives and Greens. The far-right and anti-vaccine Freedom Party opposed the bill.