“Mixed feelings” about compulsory vaccination – salzburg.ORF.at
Coronavirus
The introduction of general vaccination at the beginning of February is getting closer. The federal government presented the final draft law on Sunday. Some local heads from Salzburg’s former quarantine communities are in favor of, others against, a general obligation to vaccinate.
There are different voices among Salzburg’s mayors about the introduction of general compulsory vaccination planned for February.
“If so, then start with vulnerable groups”
The Kuchler Mayor Thomas Freylinger (ÖVP) generally rejects the obligation to vaccinate. Kuchl is one of those communities that were already quarantined during the CoV pandemic due to the high number of infections. For Freylinger, there are two arguments against mandatory vaccination: “On the one hand, it is not responsible at the moment to introduce mandatory vaccination without knowing how often people get vaccinated. We have always spoken of the vulnerable groups. Then we should listen to the doctors and scientists and start vaccinating the vulnerable groups, but not everyone.”
“Pressure creates back pressure”
Bad Hofgastein (Pongau), like Grossarl (Pongau) or Bad Gastein (Pongau), has already been in quarantine in the past two years. The mayor of Bad Hofgastein, Markus Viehauser (ÖVP), is privately skeptical about compulsory vaccination because coercion and pressure would create counter-pressure, as he says.
“The majority should suffer because of the minority”
On the other hand, the ÖVP mayor of Bad Gastein, Gerhard Steinbauer, is in favor of compulsory vaccination: “It is incomprehensible that the majority of the population is again suffering from restrictions that are ultimately caused to a lesser extent by the refusal. For this reason, I see it as positive that the state is introducing an obligation,” says Steinbauer. The head of Grossarl, Johann Rohrmoser (ÖVP), believes that the situation cannot be brought under control without vaccination.
In general, all mayors notice how emotionally – and sometimes very negatively – people react to the subject of vaccination.