MEP Gerald Hauser (PfE) has submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission challenging the EU's continued recommendation of COVID-19 vaccination for medically vulnerable groups, arguing it contradicts previous exemptions and exposes them to serious side effects. The question, filed on 6 July 2026, targets the Commission and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), demanding justification for what Hauser calls medically unjustifiable guidelines.
Hauser points out that Austria, the only EU country to make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory, exempted pregnant women, people with autoimmune diseases, severe chronic illnesses, and immunosuppressed individuals on medical grounds. Yet current EU and Austrian guidelines now recommend regular vaccination for these same groups. He contrasts this with the United States, which has withdrawn all general COVID-19 vaccination recommendations.
first, the scientific grounds for targeting vulnerable groups; second, why these groups are being exposed to risks of vaccine failure and serious side effects; and third, the purpose of EU vaccination recommendations now that the US has dropped its own. The question implies a cleavage between medical precaution and public health policy, with Hauser arguing that the EU's approach prioritizes vaccination coverage over individual safety for vulnerable populations.
As a parliamentary question, the Commission and ECDC are expected to respond within approximately six weeks. Their answer will signal whether the EU intends to maintain or revise its COVID-19 vaccination strategy for high-risk groups, and how it views the divergence from US policy.