US: Pentagon to mandate COVID vaccination for military as FDA approves Pfizer vaccine

The Pentagon announced on Monday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given full safety approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine and now service personnel will be required to receive the vaccine as an example for other states and organisations. According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is following through on his promise earlier this month to demand the doses once the vaccine is authorised by the FDA. He stated that guidelines are in the works and that a timeline will be released in the coming days.

Pentagon to mandate COVID-19 vaccine

Austin's action mirrors similar moves made by governments and businesses throughout the world as countries grapple with the highly contagious delta variant, which has pushed the number of cases in the United States to levels not seen since last winter. Military hospitalisations and deaths are also on the rise. The number of service members who have lost their lives due to COVID has increased by more than a third in the last month, from 25 to 34.

In a memo dated 9 August, Austin stated that he will seek the president's approval to make the vaccine mandatory by mid-September, or as soon as the FDA approves it, “whichever comes first.” According to the Pentagon, the military has adequate immunisations to meet the demands.

The move taken on Monday to make the vaccine mandatory is an attempt to safeguard the safety of military personnel. Concerns about the virus are particularly high in the military, where service members live and work in close quarters in barracks and on ships, posing a greater danger of rapid spread. Any significant virus outbreak in the military may jeopardise America's ability to defend itself in the event of a security crisis.

Pfizer's COVID vaccine got approved in the US

In a statement earlier this month, General Mark Milley said that medical authorities recommend the vaccinatio and that having vaccine administered is critical to keeping the military ready to defend the country. Milley also wrote a handwritten note at the bottom of his message, "Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a key force protection and readiness issue."

According to the Defence Department, more than 1 million military personnel had been fully vaccinated as of 18 August and almost 245,000 more had received at least one shot. Just over half of the population of the United States has been fully vaccinated with one of the country's three vaccine alternatives, which include Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

The Pentagon decision is just for the Pfizer vaccination, according to Kirby. Moderna has also applied to the FDA for complete approval of their vaccine. Johnson & Johnson has stated that it intends to do so later this year.

(With inputs from AP)

(Picture Credit: AP/Unsplash)