The White House ‘strongly supports’ the Department of Defense’s plans of making coronavirus vaccines mandatory for all U.S. military service members.
The latest surge of COVID-19 cases in the United States largely involves the eligible population, who has yet to take the coronavirus vaccines. This has since led experts to call it the “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
Officials, in turn, further encourage the public to get the jabs. The government has also set some mandates and rules for federal workers.
Alongside this, the White House previously directed the Pentagon, as well, to look into “how and when” it would require military service members to take the COVID-19 vaccines. A month later, the Department of Defense is now seeking approval from the U.S. President to make the jabs mandatory for all troops, according to Al Jazeera.
A “healthy and ready force” amid the pandemic
On Monday, the Pentagon released a statement regarding the matter. Spokesman John Kirby said that they are looking for approval from President Joe Biden by mid-September. This is to require coronavirus vaccines for the 1.3 million members of the U.S. military.
He continued that “we want a healthy and ready force” amid and after the pandemic. But, as for the timeline of mandate, Kirby noted that they are still “working through details and policies.”
The Pentagon Spokesman, later on, shared that about half of the armed forces have already completed their vaccinations. The figure would even climb up to 62 percent when the data focuses on the active-duty troops alone.
Meanwhile, the Navy has the highest rate of vaccination against COVID-19 within the U.S. military. As reported, over 73 percent of sailors have already completed their jabs.
The White House on the mandatory coronavirus vaccines
In response to the Defense Department’s statement, U.S. President Joe Biden shared a positive remark, which the White House released on the same day. He said that he “strongly supports” the plan to make the coronavirus vaccines mandatory for the country’s service members.
He continued that the vaccinations will help the military members to “stay healthy, to better protect [their] families,” and to ensure that they are ready to operate anywhere in the world. “We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19,” the U.S. President added.
Vaccine mandates across corporations
COVID-19 vaccine mandates have continued to become apparent in the United States these past few weeks. CNBC reported that several large corporations across the country have already announced making vaccinations mandatory for some or all of their respective workers. These include Google, Walmart, and United Airlines.
This comes as the COVID-19 case and death counts remain in an increasing trend due to the more contagious and dangerous variants. Moreover, they are more evident among those who have yet to take the coronavirus vaccines.
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