The U.S. military is expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19 within a deadline of September 15 or earlier, depending on whether the infection rate continues to increase.
A memo obtained by the Associated Press stated that the military will have a few weeks to prepare, calculate how many doses of vaccine are needed and how they will develop vaccine regulations.
“I will seek approval from the President to compulsory vaccination no later than mid-September or immediately (approved by the Food and Drug Administration), whichever comes first,” the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Said in a memo to the troops. “If I feel it is necessary, I will not hesitate to act as soon as possible or recommend a different route to the president.”
However, military personnel may seek exemptions for any vaccines for reasons such as health issues or religious beliefs. According to current regulations, individuals who have a serious adverse reaction to the vaccine, people who are pregnant or have other diseases can postpone vaccination.
For more reports from the Associated Press, please see below.
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Austin’s decision was more than a week later than the president Joe Biden Tell defense officials to develop a plan to require the military to be vaccinated as part of a broader campaign to increase vaccinations for federal workers. It reflects similar decisions by governments and companies around the world, as countries are struggling with the highly contagious Delta mutation, which has caused the number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States to soar to the highest since its peak last winter Level.
However, the extra time is also a recognition of the fierce political disagreement on vaccines, and recognizing that compulsory vaccination may trigger opposition from vaccine opponents across the state and the federal government. Congress And the population of the United States.
It also provides time Food and Drug Administration Give final approval Pfizer The vaccine is expected early next month. If there is no official FDA approval, Austin needs a waiver from Biden to make the injection mandatory.
The troops often live and work closely in barracks and on ships, increasing the risk of rapid spread. Any large-scale outbreak of the virus in the military may affect the ability of the United States to defend itself in any national security crisis.
The decision will add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of other vaccines that service personnel already need to get. Depending on their locations around the world, service members can obtain up to 17 different vaccines.
Austin’s memo also said that at the same time, Pentagon Biden’s order will be followed and additional restrictions will be imposed on any federal personnel who have not been vaccinated. These restrictions will include wearing masks, social distancing and travel restrictions.
According to the Pentagon, more than 1 million soldiers were vaccinated, and another 237,000 were vaccinated once. But the vaccination rate of the military varies greatly.
The Navy stated that more than 74% of active and reserve sailors have been vaccinated at least once. At the same time, the Air Force stated that more than 65% of its active forces and 60% of its reserve forces are at least partially vaccinated, while the Army — the largest service by far — appears to be close to 50%.
Military officials stated that the rate of vaccination of the entire force has been accelerating, and some troops—such as sailors deployed on warships—have been vaccinated. But the total number has dropped sharply, including the National Guard and the Reserve, making them more difficult to track.
Some unvaccinated service staff advised them to get vaccinated when needed, but others categorically opposed it. Military officials stated that once vaccination is mandatory, refusal to vaccination may constitute disobedience and may be punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
For example, Army guidance includes counseling soldiers to ensure they understand the use of vaccines and the threats posed by diseases. The Army also pointed out that if a soldier “does not comply with the legal order to receive mandatory vaccines and does not receive an approved exemption, the commander may take appropriate disciplinary action.”
Military officials said they did not collect data on the number of soldiers who refused to receive other mandatory vaccines (such as anthrax, hepatitis, chickenpox or flu vaccines) in the past ten years or more. They were unable to provide any detailed information on the penalties imposed by service personnel for refusal.
Officials said they believed that the number of troops rejecting other mandatory vaccines was small. Subjects may vary.
Some people believe that those who have been infected with the virus and have antibodies are immune and therefore should not be vaccinated. It is not clear how the military will respond to these types of assertions.
According to defense officials, some senior military leaders have expressed support for mandatory vaccination, believing that it will help keep troops healthy. To prevent infection, military commanders are also working to separate vaccinated recruits from unvaccinated recruits in the early stages of basic training in various services. Therefore, for some people, authorization can make training and housing less complicated.
Navy officials said this week that of the fully vaccinated sailors and Marines, only one case of COVID-19 was hospitalized. In contrast, the Navy stated that “in a similar-sized unvaccinated sailor and Marine Corps,” more than 123 people were hospitalized. It said that less than 3% of immunization forces tested positive for COVID-19.
Other military departments did not provide similar data.
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