Austria edged closer to implementing a compulsory COVID-19 vaccination mandate for most adults on Thursday after parliament’s lower house voted in favor of the proposal. A majority of MPs backed the bill by 137 votes to 33, according to local reports. It is now expected to pass parliament’s upper house before being signed by President Alexander Van der Bellen. If passed, it would mean that adults age 18 and over in the country would need to get vaccinated against COVID-19 starting in February. However, pregnant women, those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, and individuals who recovered from the virus in the past six months, would be exempt. The move would make Austria the first EU nation to impose such a mandate and comes despite large-scale demonstrations across the country in recent months as tens of thousands of angry citizens continue to protest against such measures. Every Austrian household will be notified about the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, which is free, …