After calls from some VP-led federal states to make the corona tests chargeable in the foreseeable future, the President of the Medical Association, Thomas Szekeres, is now pointing in this direction: “I think everyone who does not want to be vaccinated and visit events or restaurants should then pay for the testing yourself, “he said in the 1-” Morgenjournal “on Thursday.
The prerequisite for the end of the free test is that everyone has the opportunity to be vaccinated. “I don’t see why the general public has to pay for these very expensive tests when people refuse to take advantage of the free vaccination. The vaccinations have been strictly controlled by the European approval authority, are approved by us, are safe and effective – and I believe everyone should get vaccinated if possible. “
Szekeres also sees paid tests as a way to stimulate the declining willingness to vaccinate: “I very much hope that the willingness to vaccinate increases and I also very much hope that we will succeed in getting as many people as possible to be vaccinated. This also protects those who have not been vaccinated or who are immunocompromised and the vaccination will not work. That is the only way out of the pandemic. And none of us would like more lockdowns. “
The debate was initiated by Upper Austria’s governor Thomas Stelzer (VP) on Tuesday. Support for him came from Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Styria on Wednesday. In addition to the Lower Austrian Medical Association, the chairman of the social insurance for the self-employed (SVS) and co-chair of the conference of social insurance institutions, Peter Lehner (VP), questioned the free tests.
