Members of the US military will have to receive coronavirus vaccines by September 15, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memorandum to soldiers, obtained by Associated Press on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2021) Members of the US military will have to receive coronavirus vaccines by September 15, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memorandum to soldiers, obtained by Associated Press on Monday.
"I will seek the president's approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon [licensure by the food and Drug Administration]... whichever comes first," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the memo. "I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so."
The announcement comes amid decisions by the Biden administration and governors to begin placing restrictions on state and Federal employees who are unvaccinated or refuse to attest to their vaccination status. Private companies such as Google have likewise begun to re-implement extra restrictions on unvaccinated employees.
Austin said in the memorandum that service members will have the next several weeks to prepare to implement the vaccine mandate. The coronavirus shots will be added to the list of vaccinations that soldiers are required to get, which can number as high as 17 depending on where they serve.
More than 1 million service members have been fully vaccinated, according to the Defense Department.
