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COVID-19 VACCINES

Vaccination rates declining in Austria despite Delta variant concerns

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz calls for unvaccinated people to come forward for the Covid-19 vaccine as the number of vaccinations being administered in Austria falls for the first time.

Vaccination rates declining in Austria despite Delta variant concerns
Photo: MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

The number of first vaccinations being administered in Austria is falling, with the country anticipating a fourth wave of cases.

Currently, around 70,000 vaccinations a day are being carried out, down from 90,000 per day in mid June when there was a shortage of vaccinations in the country.

There is now a plentiful supply of vaccines in Austria, but demand is falling with fewer people coming forward to receive a first vaccination.

The news comes as Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) is visiting New York and is repeating calls for people to get vaccinated.

“For everyone who is vaccinated, the pandemic is over,” said Kurz.

“For everyone who is not vaccinated, the virus is a massive problem.” 

There are also concerns that a fourth wave of cases is heading for Austria, after 192 new cases were recorded on Monday, but no deaths for the second day in a row. 

Der Standard reports that Kurz has again defended the planned relaxation of measures on July 22nd, including the mask mandate everywhere except public transport and in supermarkets, and said it’s the responsibility of individuals to get vaccinated.

Do Brits living in Austria still have to quarantine on trips to the UK? 

To date, just over five million people in Austria have already received the first shot, which is around 64 per cent of the population aged 12 and over.

Appointment-free vaccination centres

In a bid to speed up the vaccination roll-out, some provinces have opened walk-in vaccination centres where appointments are not needed and, in some cases, people can choose which vaccine to receive.

From Monday July 19th, a vaccination bus in Upper Austria will visit Linz with a similar scheme being rolled out in Wels on Friday and Saturday. The bus will deliver the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

On Thursday, walk-in vaccinations will be available at the PlusCity shopping centre in Pasching, Upper Austria, and at the Drinking Hall in Bad Ischl, Salzkammergut.

An appointment-free service is running in Vienna at the Rathausplatz from 5pm to 10pm each evening. The program started on July 3rd and will run until September 4th. 

For everyone over 18, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered. For those under 18, the BioNTech/Pfizer jab is on offer – with the second to take place at the Austria Centre in Vienna. 

EXPLAINED: What is Austria’s Covid-19 immunity card and how do I get it?

In Tyrol, the first appointment-free event at all of the state’s vaccination centres on July 4th saw 13,000 of the 16,000 available doses administered. The scheme was repeated at the weekend.

Reports show 7,550 first doses were delivered between Thursday and Sunday in Tyrol, but up to 20,000 doses were available.

You can find a full overview of the walk-in vaccination centres by province here.

What about the Delta variant?

The number of cases of the Delta variant is growing in Austria and was already labelled as the dominant variant in early July.

The Local spoke to Fabian Valka, Researcher Mathematical Modeling and Machine Learning at vektorraum, earlier this month who raised concerns about the relaxation of measures as the variant was circulating.

He said: “Personally, I think that we’ll probably need to reintroduce many currently lifted interventions in Austria to stop the next wave of cases, hospitalisations, and deaths.”

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COVID-19 VACCINES

What to know about Austria’s new advice on Covid vaccines

As the coronavirus pandemic progressed, each country developed its own vaccination recommendation, which often changed. Here is the new advice from the Austrian vaccination panel.

What to know about Austria's new advice on Covid vaccines

The Austrian National Vaccination Panel has updated its recommendations on Covid vaccination on several points, the Ministry of Health announced.

“Special attention continues to be paid to the completion of the basic immunisation, which is recommended for all persons five years of age and older, and to the booster vaccination,” according to the Ministry of Health.

The booster shot is generally available to all persons 12 years of age and older and is free of charge, but it is especially recommended for persons 60 years of age and older and those at risk.

READ ALSO: Masks against Covid and flu: What’s ahead for Austria this winter

In Austria, the basic immunisation against Covid-19 consists of three vaccine doses. A fourth dose, also known as a booster shot, is also recommended.

What is new in the recommendation?

Austria is adding a new coronavirus vaccine, from Sanofi (VidPrevtyn Beta), to the list of offers against the virus. The new vaccine is protein-based and has already been approved by the European authorities. 

In Austria, the Sanofi vaccine can be used from the third vaccination onwards on people older than 18. The offer will be available at the vaccination sites in the coming week at the earliest, according to the Ministry. 

READ ALSO: Colds and flu: What to do and say if you get sick in Austria

Another change is that the variant Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 from BioNTech/Pfizer will also be used for the third vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years. 

This vaccine is specially adapted to the virus variants Omicron BA.4 and 5. It is now available for children in a special application shot that should be in vaccination sites starting next week at the earliest. 

READ ALSO: What to expect from the ski season in Austria this winter

Also included in the recommendations is a clarification specifically on an additional booster vaccination (fifth vaccination). 

People at risk from the age of 18, and those from the age of 60 can receive the additional booster vaccination four months after the fourth vaccination. According to the vaccination panel, no fifth vaccination is necessary for healthy people under 60.

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