Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
Lloyd Austin: Night Defense and National Security: Claim for Biden Deadline in Afghanistan. The Hispanic caucus is calling for Fort Hood to change its name in honor of the Mexican-American general legislators on both sides back in Biden’s August 31 deadline. has ordered service members to “immediately begin” receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Pentagon note released Wednesday.
“To defend this nation, we need a healthy and prepared force. After careful consultation with medical experts and military leaders, and with the support of the President, I have determined that mandatory vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people. “Austin wrote in the note.
No timetable was given for the time when troops are required to be fired, but Austin said he directed the secretaries of the service offices to “impose ambitious deadlines for their implementation” and regularly inform him of the their progress.
According to the latest figures from the Department of Defense, approximately 800,000 active personnel, the National Guard and the troops of the Prepared Reserve have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine.
But with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approving the Pfizer vaccine earlier this week, Austin was able to add it to the list of 17 mandatory shots that service members must receive when they enter the army or before deploying abroad.
The Department of Defense will only make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory that receive full FDA approval, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Wednesday.
Austin’s tenure follows his On August 9 he will commit to requiring the vaccine no later than mid-September. If the FDA had not given full approval to the Pfizer vaccine, Austin would have had to ask for a waiver President Biden
Joe BidenUS ‘intellectual report on the origins of COVID-19 is inconclusive: NBC WaPo correspondent: history will remember Afghan retreat as “very dark period” Night defense and national security: cry for deadline Biden in Afghanistan MORE to require vaccines against COVID-19 for all members of the service.
The Pentagon has used several campaigns to encourage troops to take the vaccine, but many members have remained resilient, reflecting some of the reluctance of the wider American population.
The Department of Defense suspended the need for COVID-19 vaccines while the vaccines were under FDA emergency use authorization.
But with the highly contagious delta variant and the FDA giving its full approval, state and local governments, as well as businesses, have begun to demand firing for workers.
August has been the deadliest month for COVID-19 deaths in the military, with the virus causing the lives of 34 service members, up from 25 July.
In his note, Austin stressed that mandatory vaccinations were familiar to all members of the service, “and critical inoculation for the mission is almost as old as the U.S. military itself.”
The mandate allows for religious or medical exemptions, in accordance with Pentagon policies for other necessary vaccines.
Asked about possible punishments for troops who resist vaccination, Kirby said Austin has communicated that military leaders should implement the program “with a measure of compassion.”
“Commanders have at their disposal a wide range of tools that do not use the [Uniform Code of Military Justice] and I think we will trust the commanders to make the right decision in the future, ”Kirby said, referring to the military law that determines punitive measures and disciplinary measures.
Kirby said members who do not seek or be granted an exemption, but who still oppose the vaccine, will be offered the opportunity to speak with a doctor who will “communicate to them the risks they are taking if they do not.” they want to get the vaccine “”.
They will also be offered the opportunity to sit down with their leadership “to talk about the risk their objection will impose on the unit, the force and their teammates,” Kirby added.
Beyond that, Kirby stressed that the mandate is “a lawful order and that we fully anticipate that our troops will follow lawful orders.”
“It has not been a problem in the past with other vaccines. I now recognize that COVID has a different history and a different cultural affiliation. But it’s a legal order, “Kirby said.
As of Aug. 18, more than a million people on active duty, members of the guard and reserve service were completely vaccinated and nearly 245,000 had received at least one shot, according to the Pentagon.
The Pentagon only provides figures on troops in active service or for each branch of total service.
Kirby said 68 percent of all active-duty troops were fully vaccinated, and 78 percent received a dose.
This percentage was much lower than the army, with only 40% fully vaccinated and 57% with a dose.
The Marine Corps had slightly better numbers, with 53 percent fully vaccinated and 60 percent with a dose. The Navy obtained the best numbers, with 73% fully inoculated and 79% partially vaccinated.
The Air Force, meanwhile, is 57% completely vaccinated and 64% with a dose.
Updated at 1:05 p.m.