“But some people got mad about it. And those people scared her, threatened her, first online and then in person, right at her doctor’s office.” The body of the doctor — who had given frequent media interviews to fight the coronavirus pandemic and promote vaccinations — was found in her office in Upper Austria on Friday. Media reported that prosecutors said they had found a suicide note and did not plan to perform an autopsy. Austria last month scrapped plans to introduce compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 for adults, saying the measure was unlikely to increase one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe. Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated in regular protests against lockdowns last year and plans to make vaccinations compulsory, underscoring a social divide over public health measures that many countries have experienced. But the doctor’s death — which the Austrian medical association said reflected a wider trend of threats against medical staff — shocked the country. “Hatred against people is inexcusable. This hatred must finally stop,” said Health Minister Johannes Rauch.
