US MILITARY DIRECTED TO BEGIN VACCINATING ALL ARMED FORCES MEMBERS: STATEMENT

Wed 25 August 2021:

U,S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated in a memo on Wednesday that military members must start getting the COVID-19 vaccine immediately, and that service leaders must “impose ambitious timelines for implementation.”

According to Pentagon data, more than 800,000 service personnel have yet to receive their vaccinations. And now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval, the Defense Department is adding it to the list of mandatory doses that troops must receive as part of their military service.

The memo, which was obtained by The Associated Press, does not dictate a specific timeline for completing the vaccinations. But it says the military services will have to report regularly on their progress. A senior defense official said that Austin has made it clear to the services that he expects them to move quickly, and that this will be completed in weeks not months.

“To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force,” Austin said in the memo. “After careful consultation with medical experts and military leadership, and with the support of the President, I have determined that mandatory vaccination against coronavirus disease…is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people.”

Pfizer shots will be available to troops at their bases and from their commands all throughout the world. According to the Pentagon, there is enough vaccine supply to meet demand. Individual service members are also free to obtain any of the other COVID vaccines.

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