The U.S. military announced Tuesday that all active-duty soldiers should be vaccinated against coronavirus by Dec. 15.
The development comes after the Pentagon last month said all U.S. military should receive the COVID-19 coup after full approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration.
“This is literally a matter of life and death for our soldiers, their families and the communities in which we live,” Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle, the U.S. Army’s general surgeon, said in a statement. .
“The count of cases and deaths continue to be worrisome as the Delta variant spreads, making protection of the force through compulsory vaccination a health and preparedness priority for the entire army,” he said. dir Dingle.
Soldiers can apply for medical or religious exemptions for the vaccine, the military said.
But soldiers without an approved exemption who refuse to get vaccinated can suffer punishments, including resignation or discharge, depending on the military.
Army Reserve and National Guard units have a vaccination deadline after June 30th.