Austria mourns suicide of doctor attacked by anti-vaccine activists

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen attends a press conference in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Leonhard Foger

ZURICH, July 30 (Reuters) – Austrian leaders called for national unity after a doctor who faced death threats from anti-vaccination activists and conspiracy theorists over the coronavirus pandemic took her own life.

“Let’s end this intimidation and fear mongering. Hate and intolerance have no place in our Austria,” said President Alexander Van der Bellen, hailing Lisa-Maria Kellermayr as a doctor who supported treating people, protecting them from disease and taking a cautious approach to the pandemic.

“But some people were enraged by it. And these people scared her, threatened her, first on the Internet, and then in person, directly at her practice.”

The body of the doctor, who frequently gave media interviews about fighting the coronavirus pandemic and promoting vaccinations, was found in her office in Upper Austria on Friday.

Media quoted prosecutors as saying they had discovered a death note and were not planning an autopsy.

Last month, Austria scrapped plans to introduce mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for adults, saying the measure was unlikely to raise one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe. Read more

Tens of thousands of people took out regular protests against the lockdown last year and plans to make vaccinations compulsory, highlighting the social divide over the public health measures many countries have had.

But the doctor’s death – which the Austrian doctors’ association says reflects a wider trend of threats against medical staff – has shocked the country.

“Hatred against people is unforgivable. This hatred must finally stop,” said Health Minister Johannes Rauch.

Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Toby Chopra

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