Lloyd Austin.Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
The Pentagon announced Monday a plan to mandate that members of the U.S. military get vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning Sept. 15 (a deadline that could be moved up if cases of the virus increase or if the shots receive final FDA approval sooner).
“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Agency licensure, whichever comes first,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo sent to troops Monday, adding, “To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”
“These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective. Over 350 million shots have been given in the United States alone,” Biden, 78, continued in the statement. “We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away.”
According to Austin’s memo, the military will spend “the next few weeks” preparing for the transition. “Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready,” Austin added.
The push for a vaccine mandate in the military comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called the Delta variant of the virus “highly contagious.”
“To put this in perspective: If you get sick with the Alpha variant, you could infect about two other unvaccinated people,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent briefing. “If you get sick with the Delta variant, we estimate that you can infect about five other unvaccinated people — more than twice as many as the original strain.”
Last month, the president announced that the country’s four million federal employees must get their shots or be forced to submit to regular testing and adhere to strict protocols such as wearing a mask and socially-distancing.
Under the new rules, the nation’s federal employees will be required to attest to their vaccination status. If unvaccinated (or if they choose not to attest to their status), they will be required to wear a mask — even if they live in a region without high or subsequent substantial spread — socially distance, and be regularly tested for the virus either weekly or twice weekly. Those who are not vaccinated will also be subject to restrictions on most travel.
In a briefing last week, the president acknowledged the challenge of convincing some American adults to get the shots, which have become highly partisan despite their ability to save lives and contain the spread of the virus.
“I know there’s a lot of misinformation out there so here are the facts: If you’re vaccinated, you are highly unlikely to get COVID-19,” Biden said in the briefing, adding that those who are vaccinated and get the virus will most likely only have “very mild” symptoms.
source: people.com
