US Defense Secretary: "Mandatory Vaccination for All Military Personnel... Everyone Must Get Vaccinated Immediately"

Pfizer Receives FDA Full Approval, Accelerating Mandatory Vaccination
Exemptions for Religious Beliefs and Medical Reasons

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for all military personnel. The mandate, which is being promoted mainly in public institutions, large corporations, and schools across the United States, is expected to rapidly spread throughout American society.

On the 25th (local time), U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated in a press release, "A healthy and ready military is necessary to protect the nation," adding, "Vaccination will be mandatory for all military personnel, and all soldiers who have not yet been vaccinated must receive the vaccine immediately." He emphasized, "After careful review by medical experts and military leadership, it was determined that mandatory vaccination is necessary to protect the military and the American people."

The Department of Defense explained that this vaccination mandate follows the formal approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the 23rd. Earlier, on the 9th, the Department of Defense had announced that it would issue a mandatory vaccination order for all military personnel once an FDA-approved vaccine became available.

Accordingly, the number of vaccines mandated within the U.S. military has increased to 18. According to CNN, the Department of Defense currently mandates 17 vaccines, including those for smallpox, hepatitis, and influenza, depending on deployment locations. Under the mandate, military personnel will now receive the FDA-approved Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Secretary Austin stated, "I will instruct each branch to develop vaccination implementation schedules and regularly report progress," emphasizing, "We expect this to be carried out as quickly as possible, completing within weeks rather than months."

However, the Department of Defense stated that individuals who participated in COVID-19 clinical trials, those who refuse vaccination due to religious beliefs, or those unable to receive the vaccine for medical reasons will be exempt from the mandate. For soldiers who resist the mandate for political reasons or other causes, disciplinary actions will not be immediately taken, but various sanctions will be used to encourage vaccination.

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense reported that approximately 68% of the 1.3 million active-duty U.S. military personnel have completed the second dose, and 76% have received at least the first dose. As the Department of Defense begins full implementation of the vaccination mandate, the policy, which is already underway in U.S. public institutions, schools, and companies, is expected to spread throughout American society.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.