From MilitaryTimes.com…
All members of the active-duty and reserve components of the military will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a memo signed Tuesday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Just under 60 percent of the force has received at least one vaccine, per the latest data, though the Defense Department has until now offered the shots on a volunteer basis.
With the full Food and Drug Administration approval of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday, the Pentagon is moving for full vaccination of more than 2 million service members.
“Mandatory vaccinations are familiar to all of our Service members, and mission-critical inoculation is almost as old as the U.S. military itself,” Austin wrote. “Our administration of safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines has produced admirable results o date, and I know the Department of Defense will come together to finish the job with urgency, professionalism, and compassion.”
