Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U. S. military service members by mid-September 2021, according to a memo he sent to all Defense Department employees.
“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U. S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote.
“By way of expectation, public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month. The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition,” Austin wrote.
Given the rising coronavirus case numbers amid the increasing spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, Austin noted that “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President, if l feel the need to do so.
Shortly after Austin’s memo was sent out, the President said, “I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today, [Monday, August 9,] 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. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective.
“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away.”
Below, U. S. Air Force personnel assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing received the first Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, at Aviano Air Base, Italy, on Friday, January 8, 2021.
