A paratrooper assigned to the combat brigade of the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, is preparing for an airborne operation in Fort Bragg, NC, on May 7th.
Spc. Hubert Delany III | US Army
WASHINGTON – The White House chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday that members of the U.S. service who are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine but choose to exclude it are unintentionally “part of the problem” of prolonging the pandemic.
“Be part of the solution to this outbreak,” Fauci told a virtual audience during a town hall meeting with Blue Star Families, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the problems facing military families.
“Because by getting infected, even though you may not know it, you may inadvertently transmit the infection to someone else, even if you have no symptoms,” Fauci said. “Actually, like it or not, you’re spreading this outbreak. So instead of being part of the solution, you’re innocently and involuntarily part of the problem because you don’t get vaccinated.”
“You have to think about your own health, which is really very important, but you have to think about your social obligation, including people close to you personally and other family members of other people,” Fauci said.
Last month, the Pentagon acknowledged that about a third of members of the U.S. military service declined to take the voluntary coronavirus vaccine.
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant. Felicia White, head of supplies for the Camp Kinser office, is disinfected to receive her second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Okinawa, at Camp Foster on March 2, 2021 .
Lance Cpl of the U.S. Marine Corps. Zachary Larsen U.S. Marine Corps
When asked if military leadership was disappointed with the revelation, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters last month that the decision to take the vaccine ultimately rested with each member of the force.
“Everyone is different and we want (what the secretary wants) the men and women in the department to make the best and most informed decision for them and for their health and the health of their families,” Kirby said. , who added that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did receive the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for Pentagon coronavirus efforts, has commissioned thousands of service members to help vaccinate communities across the nation.
Last week, Austin embarked on his first official trip since ascending to the top spot at the Pentagon to meet with military commanders overseeing the Covid-19 response effort in California.
Austin also visited a FEMA vaccination center in Los Angeles, the first equipped by both active-duty military teams and National Guard personnel.
Active and active Army National Guard soldiers are preparing to receive an imitation vaccine during an exercise at California State University, Los Angeles, on February 14, 2021.
US Army Captain Daniel Parker | US Army
Austin said the Pentagon has prioritized the transmission of factual information to the force to build trust.
“There’s a certain degree of mistrust and I think we need to work collectively to dispel rumors and provide facts to people,” Austin told reporters traveling with him. “And it has been my experience that when we are armed with the facts, people will tend to make the right decisions.”
“My advice to everyone is, I mean, this saves lives. And it’s not just about saving lives, it’s about saving our partner’s life, that of the neighbor, and in the armed forces, you know, we thrive in teamwork and we must also think about our teammates, ”he added.