Austria's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a bill making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for adults as of February 1, bringing Austria closer to introducing the first such sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandate. 

The bill must now pass the upper house and be signed by President Alexander Van der Bellen.

The mandate would apply to all residents aged 18 and over, with exemptions for pregnant women, individuals who for medical reasons can't be vaccinated and people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months.

(With input from Reuters)