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WASHINGTON >> Members of the US military will need to procure the COVID-19 vaccine starting next month as part of a plan drawn up by the Pentagon today and approved by President Joe Biden. In notes distributed to all troops, top Pentagon officials said the vaccine was a necessary step to maintain military readiness.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the mid-September deadline could be accelerated if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or if infection rates continue to rise.
“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately after ‘Food and Drug Administration clearance’ whichever comes first,” Austin said in his memo, warning to prepare for the requirement.
Austin’s plan leaves time for the FDA to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, which is expected early next month. Without that formal approval, Austin needs a waiver from Biden to make the shots mandatory, and Biden has already made it clear that he supports the move.
His move reflects similar actions taken by governments and businesses around the world, as nations battle the highly contagious delta variant that has sent new cases to the United States, with hospitalizations and deaths reaching record highs. the peaks of last winter. Concerns are particularly acute in the military, where the military often live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risk of rapid spread. Any major virus outbreak in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in the event of a national security crisis.
Austin warned that if infection rates rise and potentially affect military readiness, “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different path to the President if I feel the need to.” To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.
In a statement today, Biden said he strongly supports Austin’s message to force the departments “to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our military no later than mid-September “.
Biden said the country is still on a war footing and “being vaccinated will allow our military to stay healthy, better protect their families and ensure our force is ready to operate anywhere in the world. “.
Austin’s memo, which was released today, was quickly followed by a memo from Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“The Defense Secretary intends to make vaccination mandatory for all members of the Service in the coming weeks,” Milley said, adding that military medical professionals have recommended the move. At the bottom of her post, Milley scribbled a handwritten note: “Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a key issue in force protection and readiness. “
The move comes just over a week after Biden asked defense officials to come up with a plan requiring troops to get vaccinated as part of a larger campaign to increase vaccinations in the workforce. federal work.
Austin said the military will have the next few weeks to prepare, determine how many vaccines they need and how that mandate will be implemented. The extra time, however, is also a nod to the bitter political division over the vaccine and the knowledge that making it mandatory will likely spark opposition from opponents of the vaccine across state and federal governments, Congress and the American population.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said today he believes the military has enough vaccines to meet requirements. He added: “You can take this note not only as a warning order to the services but to the troops themselves.”
The Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Armed Services Committee have said the vaccines have been shown to be effective.
“Some may try to criticize the secretary’s decision, using anti-vax arguments that are not supported by facts or science to politicize the conversation. These desperate attention seekers should be ignored, ”said Representative Adam Smith, D-Wash., Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Representative Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Said the vaccine will help protect troops who live in cramped conditions and lack the ability to telecommute.
Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also praised the plan, saying it “will ensure that the Joint Force remains healthy and ready to fight and win our country’s wars – and that our military families will stay safe ”.
The decision will add the COVID-19 vaccine to a list of other vaccines that the military are already required to receive. Depending on their location in the world, military personnel may receive up to 17 different vaccines.
Austin’s memo also said that in the meantime, the Pentagon would comply with Biden’s order of further restrictions on any federal personnel who had not been vaccinated. These restrictions will include wearing masks, social distancing and travel limits.
According to the Pentagon, more than one million soldiers are fully immunized and 237,000 others have received an injection. But military services vary widely in their vaccination rates.
The Navy said more than 74% of all active-duty and reserve sailors have been vaccinated with at least one stroke. The Air Force, meanwhile, said more than 65 percent of its active-duty personnel and 60 percent of its reserve forces are at least partially vaccinated, and the number for the military – by far the most important – seems to be closer to 50%.
Military officials said the pace of vaccines was increasing across the force, with some units – such as sailors deployed on a warship – seeing nearly 100 percent of their members being vaccinated. But the totals drop dramatically, including among the National Guard and the Reserve, which are much more difficult to track.
Some unvaccinated servicemen have suggested they get vaccinated when needed, but others are adamantly opposed. Military officials have said that once the vaccine is mandatory, a refusal could constitute a breach of an order and could be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Army advice, for example, includes advice for soldiers to make sure they understand the purpose of the vaccine and the threat the disease poses. The military also notes that if a soldier “does not comply with a legal order to receive a mandatory vaccine and does not have an approved exemption, a commander can take appropriate disciplinary action.”
Military service officials said they were not collecting data on the number of soldiers who refused other mandatory vaccines, such as anthrax, hepatitis, chickenpox or flu shots during the last decade or more. And they were unable to provide details of the penalties imposed on service members as a result of the denial.
Officials said they believed the number of soldiers refusing other mandatory vaccines was low. And the discipline could vary.
In addition, military personnel can request an exemption from any vaccine – temporary or permanent – for a variety of reasons, including health concerns or religious beliefs. Regulations for other mandatory vaccines state, for example, that anyone who has had a serious adverse reaction to the vaccine may be exempt, and those who are pregnant or have other conditions may postpone an injection.
Senior military officials support mandatory shooting, defense officials say. In some cases, commanders found it difficult to separate vaccinated recruits from unvaccinated recruits during the early parts of basic training in order to prevent infections. So, for some, a warrant could make training and housing less complicated.
Navy officials said last week that there had been only one case of hospitalization with COVID-19 among Sailors and Marines who were fully vaccinated. By comparison, the Navy said there had been more than 123 hospitalizations “in a similarly sized group of unvaccinated Sailors and Marines.” He said less than 3% of his immune troops tested positive for COVID-19.
The other military services did not provide similar data.
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