Troops withdrawing from Covid vaccine ‘part of the problem’

WASHINGTON – White House chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci said on Thursday that U.S. service members who are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine but are inadvertently withdrawing are “part of the problem” of the extension of the pandemic.

“You are part of the solution to this epidemic,” Fauci told a virtual audience at a town hall with Blue Star Families, a nonprofit dedicated to the issues facing military families.

“Because by being infected, even though you might not know it, you can inadvertently pass the infection on to someone else, even if you don’t have any symptoms,” Fauci said. “The reality is, like it or not, you are spreading this epidemic. So instead of being part of the solution, you are innocently and inadvertently becoming part of the problem by not getting the vaccine.”

“You have to think about your own health, which is really very important, but you have to think about your societal obligations, including people close to you personally as well as other family members of other people,” Fauci said.

Last month, the Pentagon acknowledged that about a third of U.S. military service members refused to take the voluntary coronavirus vaccine.

When asked if military leaders were disappointed with the revelation, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters last month that the decision to take the vaccine ultimately rests with each member of the strength.

“Everyone is different and we want – what the secretary wants – is for the men and women in the department to make the best and most informed decision for themselves and for their health and that of their families,” he said. Kirby said, adding that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the Army’s North U.S. Command, which is responsible for the Pentagon’s coronavirus efforts, has tasked thousands of servicemen to help immunize communities across the country.

Last week, Austin embarked on his first official trip since his ascension to the Pentagon’s first place 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 with both active-duty military teams and National Guard members.

Austin said the Pentagon has prioritized providing factual information to the force in order to build confidence.

“There is a certain degree of mistrust and I think we have to work collectively hard to dispel rumors and provide facts to people,” Austin told reporters traveling with him. “And in my experience, once 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 our life, it’s about saving our partner’s life, our neighbor’s life, and in the military, you know, we thrive on teamwork and we have to think about our teammates too, ”he added.