The Pentagon will require members of the Army to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press news agency.
The date could be moved forward
if the vaccine receives final approval from the Drug Administration (FDA) or if infection rates continue to rise.
"I will seek the approval of the president to make vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately after the Drug Administration is licensed, whichever comes first," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the memo. to the troops,
warning them to prepare for the requirement.
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He added that if infection rates rise and potentially affect military readiness, he will not hesitate to act earlier or recommend a different course to the president if he feels the need to do so.
"
To defend this nation, we need a healthy force ready to act," he concluded.
Austin's decision comes just over a week after President Joe Biden told Defense officials to develop a plan that requires troops to receive vaccines
as part of a broader campaign to increase vaccination in the United States. federal workforce.
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This reflects similar decisions by governments and companies around the world, as nations grapple with the highly contagious delta variant that has led to new cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States at heights never seen since last winter's peaks.
Austin said in his memo that the military services will have the next few weeks to prepare,
determine how many vaccines they need, and how this mandate will be implemented.
The extra time, however, is also a nod to the bitter political divide over the vaccine, and the knowledge that making it mandatory will likely unleash the fury of vaccine opponents in state and federal governments, Congress, and the American public.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks at a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, July 21, 2021. AP / Kevin Wolf
It also allows time for the FDA to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, which is expected early next month.
Without that formal approval, Austin would need a waiver from Biden for the injections to be mandatory.
Troops often
live and work closely in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spread.
And any major outbreak of the virus in the military could affect the United States' ability to defend itself in any national security crisis.
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The decision will add the COVID-19 vaccine to a list of other vaccines that service members must already receive.
Depending on their location around the world,
members of the Armed Forces can receive up to 17 different vaccines.
The Austin memo also said that in the meantime, the Pentagon will comply with Biden's order to
impose additional restrictions on any federal personnel who have not been vaccinated.
Those restrictions will include the use of masks, social distancing and limiting travel.