Austria suspends vaccine mandate before enforcement starts

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Austria’s government says it’s suspending the country’s coronavirus vaccination mandate for most adults. Authorities argue that there’s no need to implement it at present only a week before its enforcement was due to begin. The mandate for people age 18 and over became law in early February 2½ months after the plan was first announced amid a surge of cases that sent the country into a since-lifted lockdown. But by the time the legislation was in place much of the sense of urgency had disappeared. The government said Wednesday it is suspending the mandate at least for now following a report from a commission of health and legal experts.