In a concerning development shared by Pentagon officials, approximately one-third of U.S. military members are opting not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As the nation strives to vaccinate its population, resistance has emerged from various groups, including anti-vaccine advocates and those skeptical of the virus, and this trend has unfortunately extended to our armed forces.
Reported by the New York Journal, the Pentagon revealed this troubling statistic, indicating that the refusal rate among troops is slightly higher than that of the general American population. This trend is consistent across both active-duty forces and members of the National Guard, even among those who have been involved in administering COVID-19 tests and vaccines at the state level.
As of now, nearly one million military personnel and contractors (specifically 960,000) have received the vaccine, according to Robert G. Salesses, the acting assistant secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. While the Pentagon can mandate standard vaccinations for troops, it lacks the authority to compel service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which has only been made available under federal emergency use authorizations. Therefore, military leaders can only encourage vaccination among their ranks.
Major General Jeff Taliaferro, vice director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that troops who decline the vaccine can still be deployed overseas. He emphasized the necessity of ongoing communication regarding the vaccine’s safety to service members.
This hesitance to get vaccinated is not unique to the military. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that 31 percent of American civilians prefer to wait and see how the vaccine performs before getting vaccinated themselves. Reports indicate that vaccine refusal is particularly prevalent among Republicans and Hispanic adults, including those in healthcare professions.
The Pentagon has not disclosed the exact number of troops refusing the vaccine, but National Guard members have played a significant role in vaccine distribution across the country. Interestingly, military personnel preparing for deployment appear more inclined to receive the vaccine, with rates exceeding 80 to 90 percent reported among Navy sailors recently.
With military members often living in close quarters, the decision to forgo vaccination raises serious concerns about the potential spread of the virus. Recent events have highlighted the vulnerability of service members to COVID-19, such as those in the National Guard who contracted the virus while on duty at the Capitol during the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
It is crucial for the Pentagon to find effective ways to encourage more service members to get vaccinated, and it is hoped that this will also inspire the wider American public to follow suit. For more insights on this topic, feel free to check out this other blog post or refer to this authority on the subject. Additionally, if you want valuable information regarding pregnancy, visit this excellent resource.
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In summary, a significant portion of U.S. troops is choosing not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, which raises public health concerns given their close living conditions. While efforts continue to encourage vaccination within the military, the overall trend of vaccine hesitancy is also reflected among the civilian population.