The Department of Defense will now require all active-duty military members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I want you to know that 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 Administration licensure, whichever comes first,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, per the Epoch Times.
It is expected that the Pfizer vaccine could receive FDA approval as early as this month.
If not, Austin will seek a waiver to make the vaccines mandatory regardless of approval.
“The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition, Austin said. “I have every confidence that Service leadership and your commanders will implement this new vaccination program with professionalism, skill, and compassion. We will have more to say about this as implementation plans are fully developed.”
“I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if I feel the need to do so,” he added.
To no surprise, Biden supports the plan.
“Being vaccinated will enable our service members to stay healthy, to better protect their families, and to ensure that our force is ready to operate anywhere in the world,” Biden said.
Other Pentagon personnel will be encouraged to receive the vaccine, or face stricter rules and regular testing if they don’t.
“To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force. I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel - as well as contractor personnel - to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate,” Austin said.
