Pentagon describes COVID-19 as a national security threat, weighs making vaccination a requirement

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The coronavirus pandemic is a national security threat, and the Pentagon is considering adding COVID-19 vaccines to its “full list of requirements for military personnel,” according to a statement late Thursday.

The Biden administration has not said it will require COVID-19 vaccines for federal workers and the military but will compel those who have not been vaccinated to take frequent tests and take additional steps to prevent infection.

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Vaccines are still given under the Emergency Use Authorization, and have not been fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration, raising potential legal issues for the administration to make vaccinations a requirement. But the president – facing a slowdown in vaccination numbers and missing his goal of at least partially vaccinating 70% of the country by July 4th – has recently become more powerful for Americans to make the decision.

The Pentagon said that the Department of Defense is working to “fulfill President Biden’s commitment to defeating COVID-19, and this includes the ability to ensure the protection of every member of our civilian and military workforce.”

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Military and civilian personnel in the department who do not receive the vaccine will have to “wear masks, maintain physical distance, comply with regular testing requirements and be subject to official travel restrictions.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will consult with health officials and the Joint Chiefs of Staff “to determine how and when to make recommendations to the President regarding the addition of COVID-19 vaccines to the full list of requirements for military personnel,” the statement said.

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ABC News reported earlier this month that about 70% of all military personnel have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The report noted that Representative Thomas Massey, a Republican from Kiev, tweeted at the time that members of the military had told him they would retire if the vaccine became mandatory.

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