DISINFO: A half of people infected with coronavirus in Austria were vaccinated
SUMMARY
In Austria, many do not believe in vaccines. There, according to local statistics, 50% of the sick were vaccinated.
According to the local Ministry of Health, about 50% of patients in hospitals over 60 years old are vaccinated.
RESPONSE
The statement is untrue. Austria's Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection has not published such statistics.
The Ministry published a document called "Fact check coronavirus – vaccines protect you!". Also, the Ministry explained that "[t]he vaccination protection is not given immediately with the vaccination and must first be established. [...] In addition, no vaccination provides 100 per cent protection. If in exceptional cases a COVID-19 illness occurs despite vaccination, it is much milder and complications and deaths are avoided. In general, the approval studies of the vaccines currently available in Austria have shown a protective effect against serious diseases of COVID-19."
Pro-Kremlin disinformation has sought to amplify anti-vaccination messages in the West, question the efficacy of Western vaccines, and blame Western institutions for the low public interest in the Russia-made Sputnik V vaccine, both at home and abroad. See here for our six-part reports on this issue.
See more pro-Kremlin disinformation in our database on vaccination as well as our thematic section on the COVID-19.