US President Joe Biden said earlier that he instructed the department to develop a plan for mandatory vaccination for military personnel.
The US Department of Defense introduced a requirement for military and civilian personnel to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus or regularly tested for infection. This is stated in a statement by the deputy head of the Pentagon press service, Jamal Brown.
“In accordance with the instructions distributed by the President, all military and civilian personnel of the ministry must provide their vaccination status. If it is impossible or unwilling to do this, the staff will be obliged to wear masks, observe the social distance, undergo regular testing, and will be limited in going on business trips,” the representative of the department said.
“Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will also begin consultations with our medical specialists and the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces to decide how and when to implement the President’s recommendations on adding COVID-19 vaccines to the full list of requirements for military personnel,” Brown said.
According to him, the spread of the delta strain and its transmission speed make these “additional protective measures more vital to ensure the security of the armed forces and the country.”
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday, speaking at the White House, that he had instructed the Pentagon to develop a plan for mandatory vaccination for military personnel.
