The Pentagon is requiring members of the military to get a coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press.
The date could be moved up, depending on vaccine approval or COVID spread.
“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon [FDA approval] whichever comes first,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the memo, expected to go out to troops on Monday.
“I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so,” Austin added. “To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”
Unvaccinated troops currently have to follow protocols that include wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and abiding by travel restrictions.
