High-level Department of Defense officials are considering whether to make COVID-19 vaccine booster shots part of the mandate for U.S. troops, the Pentagon said on Dec. 10.
“There are active discussions here in the department at the policy level about booster shots and whether or not to make those mandatory,” John Kirby, the department’s spokesman, told reporters during a briefing in Virginia.
“There have been no final decisions made about that.”
The Pentagon is forcing every military member, active-duty or reserve, to get a shot unless they receive a religious, medical, or administrative exemption. Few exemptions have been granted so far; zero religious ones have been granted.
The effectiveness of the vaccines, though, drops sharply against infection as time passes after getting the shots. The protection against severe symptoms also drops, although not by as much.
The waning effectiveness has triggered a push by top health authorities to encourage people to get a booster dose. Early studies indicate that boosters restore much of the lost protection, though experts note it’s unclear how long the effect will remain.
“It’s going to be a matter of when, not if,” said Fauci, who is one of President Joe Biden’s top advisers.
Kirby said that if the mandate is expanded, military officials will “clearly communicate that and be transparent about it.”
Nine in 10 active-duty troops are fully vaccinated as of Dec. 10, according to Kirby. Fewer reserves, almost 74 percent, are fully vaccinated.
“The numbers keep trending in the right direction, and we’re glad to see that,” Kirby said.
“We know there’s more work to do, and there’s some deadlines that haven’t passed yet, as you well know, as well. But the secretary’s expectation is, because this is a mandatory military readiness requirement, is that everybody’s going to get it with the exception of those, of course, who are properly exempted from it; either doctors’ orders, or they have applied for an exemption that has been accepted.”
Each military branch set different deadlines for troops to be vaccinated. Some deadlines have already passed, including ones for active-duty Air Force, Navy, and Marine members.
Troops who don’t get vaccinated and don’t get an exemption are being told they'll face repercussions, including the possibility of being discharged.
