An Austrian doctor known for her public advocacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, and for drawing the ire of those opposed to the vaccination, has committed suicide.
Dr. Lisa-Maria Kellermayr was found dead Friday at her practice in a rural area in northern Austria, according to multiple reports.
Prosecutors in Wels confirmed the suicide and said notes were found, though they didn’t share what was contained in them.
“Let us end this intimidation and fear. Hatred and intolerance have no place in our Austria. Let us always find a way to live together peacefully,” Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen wrote on Twitter in response to Dr. Kellermayr’s death.
The doctor announced a month ago that she was closing her practice after having received death threats for more than seven months. By mid-July, she announced that she was permanently closing her practice.
She had reportedly spent $102,000 on security for her practice.
“As a doctor, she dedicated her life to the health and well-being of others,” Health Minister Johannes Rauch tweeted. “Death threats against her and her colleagues were a brutal reality.”
Austria scrapped a plan in June that would have made COVID vaccinations mandatory for all adults.
— This story includes wire service reports.
