Austria on Friday became the first country in Europe to introduce a national COVID-19 vaccine mandate for adults.
The upper house of the Austrian parliament on Thursday evening voted 47-12 in favour of a general vaccination mandate.
It formally approved a law that will see those aged 18 and older who decline to take a jab face penalties of up to €3,600, unless they are pregnant or severely ill.
The new law will last until January 31, 2024.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pushing for a vaccine mandate as part of the country's COVID-19 containment strategy, and a key vote on a potential vaccine mandate is expected at the end of March.
Both Germany and Austria have higher vaccination rates than the European Union average of 70.4 per cent with two jabs.
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