COVID-19 vaccinations for the US military service members have been mandated by the Pentagon.
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon requires active and reserve military members to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This comes after the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine this week.
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According to CNN, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a memo, “After careful consultation with medical experts and military leadership, and with the support of the President, I have determined that mandatory vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people,” he wrote.
He added, “To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”
Austin also stated that he is directing Military Department services to “immediately begin full vaccination” of those in Armed Forces, the Ready Reserve, and even the National Guard.
It was also stated that the military “should impose ambitious timelines for implementation.”
According to @ap, Pentagon data shows that more than 800,000 service members have not received the vaccine.
Those who refuse the vaccine will have to sit with their leadership and a physician “to talk about the risks that their objection will impose on the unit, the force, and their teammates.”
Roomies, what are your thoughts?
