The percentage of Americans who will have been vaccinated against coronavirus is going way up, with the Pentagon now mandating members of the U.S. military to get the shot.
All troops in every branch of service have until September 15 to get vaccinated.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sent out a memo with the details and marching orders for his troops.
“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon [FDA approval] whichever comes first.
”I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so.To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”
If Austin is looking for the support of Joe Biden, the President appears to have the general’s back. Here’s what he said following Austin’s announcement.
“I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible.”
Here’s what the numbers looked like before the decree. 74% of Navy personnel having received one does already. The numbers go down for there, with 65% of active duty Air Force and 50% of Army personnel being vaccinated.
Military personnel who have not received the vaccine have had to follow tougher protocols, like social distancing and wearing masks.
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