Austria will join the International Vaccine Institute, the National Council decided on Wednesday. The government hopes this will give it a head start in the fight against infectious diseases and future pandemics. All parties except the FPÖ spoke out in favor of the new membership.
Vaccinations would be among the greatest successes of recent centuries, said ÖVP MP Juliane Bogner-Strauß. SPÖ’s Mario Lindner said that health policy challenges cannot be tackled alone, but only with international cooperation.
The PVV criticizes the costs of membership due to the institute’s official headquarters in Vienna, which according to the government amount to 800,000 euros annually. Founded in 1997, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
Companies can participate
Another point of criticism from the FPÖ is that companies and foundations can participate in the institute and that the pharmaceutical industry would therefore have “a certain influence” on it. The debate was also used for a renewed reckoning with the Corona measures. Ralph Schallmeiner of the Greens, in turn, accused the opposition party of spreading fear and terror by warning against vaccinations. This is not only anti-scientific, but also anti-human.
The International Vaccination Institute was founded at the instigation of the UN and has had a branch in Vienna since last year.
Source: Krone
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