Opinions differ sharply when it comes to the mandatory vaccination against Covid-19. On January 16, 2022, the draft law was presented by the Austrian federal government. Proponents see it as a way to end the pandemic. Others call it a "coercion" and thus an encroachment on personal freedom, against which they have been taking to the streets for weeks.
The right to personal freedom is one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Austrian constitution. But can limits be placed on this freedom?
Yes, says Johann Platzer, an expert in medical ethics at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Graz. "It is always a matter of weighing up self-determination, solidarity and responsibility towards society," the theologian explains. "If we want to find an ethically justifiable way out of a dilemma, as the pandemic represents one, then individual freedom and the common good must be balanced."
In his research, Johann Platzer is particularly concerned with questions of medical ethics at the beginning and the end of life. These include, for example, the use of genetic engineering to create so-called "designer babies" and the handling of assisted suicide. Together with medical experts, psychologists and sociologists, the scientist seeks concrete solutions to problems in practice.