The Pentagon will require members of the U.S. military to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press, and the deadline could be moved up if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise.
News5 wants to know if you agree with the Pentagon's decision to require military members to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Results:
51% Yes
49% No
Last week, reports surfaced that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was preparing to recommend to President Biden that vaccines be mandated among military members.
His recommendation comes after Biden asked the Department of Defense to "look into how and when" to add the COVID-19 vaccine to its list of mandatory vaccines.
ABC News reports that 70% of military personnel have gotten at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. According to the CDC, 58% of the U.S. population has gotten at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense already requires military members to be vaccinated against some diseases upon arrival at basic training and prior to deployment.
Military members routinely get vaccines to prevent "tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis A and B, varicella or chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and meningococcal," and troops stationed around the world receive other vaccines depending on the area in which they are serving.
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