Pentagon takes step to make Covid vaccine mandatory for US military

NPR reports that the Department of Defense is preparing to make COVID-19 vaccinations required for all members of the US military by 15 September.

That deadline could be pushed up if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo to troops that he “will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon”.

On August 9, the White House released a statement in tandem with the Pentagon memo stating that President Biden strongly supports mandating the vaccine.