The Department of Defense confirmed Monday it will open COVID-19 vaccination appointments to all members of the military, even though some of the highest-priority soldiers deploying to war zones and in other critical roles continue to refuse the inoculation.
For months, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has encouraged service members to get vaccinated, speaking to troops and recording a public service announcement that has run in tandem with incentives offered by lower-level commanders. Still, some are refusing to take the vaccine, and the department is now opening up vaccination appointments to military members in lower levels of priority in accordance with a Monday goal set by President Joe Biden to have all adults eligible for their jabs.
“Believe me, I know we could be doing more and doing better, and we’re working on that,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told the Washington Examiner on Monday, addressing the department’s effort to communicate the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.
Kirby said the DOD has received 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and administered more than 2.5 million doses, reaching an effective inoculation rate of 28% across the force. The spokesman said the military’s vaccine utilization rate is more than 80%, several percentage points higher than the civilian throughput rate, meaning that vaccines are not staying on the shelves for very long.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT PROMISES FULL FORCE WILL BE VACCINATED BY MID-JULY DESPITE CONTINUED REFUSALS
The spokesman confirmed that even though some “tier 1a” and “tier 1b” service members are still refusing to vaccinate, the DOD will open vaccination appointments to the rest of the force.
“You’re not going to get everybody, right? But you want to get enough that it’s comfortable,” Kirby explained. “You’ve vaccinated enough in those tiers that it’s safe enough to use your vaccines now to move into lower tiers, that enough people are vaccinated in that tier.”
In recent weeks, the Pentagon has been optimistic about vaccination rates, promising the full force will be vaccinated by mid-July and anecdotally saying that troops are starting to accept the voluntary vaccine after refusing it two or more times.
After 15 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines spoiled before distribution, disrupting overseas vaccinations, the Pentagon said Monday it would move 31,500 Moderna vaccines to Europe and 30,000 Moderna vaccines to the Indo-Pacific and Central Command areas of operation by May 21.
Currently, troops are not mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine because it is being administered under emergency Food and Drug Administration approval. Only fully approved vaccines can be required of service members.
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Asked if Austin supported a letter from congressman Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California calling on Biden to make the vaccine mandatory, Kirby said he did not.
“The vaccine is still under emergency use authorization, the secretary respects that, and it remains a voluntary vaccine,” Kirby said. “He’s interested in making sure that everybody has the information they need to make the best decision for them.”
Kirby also said the DOD still does not track vaccination refusal rates.
