Warning that this is still “very early data”, Major General Jeff Taliaferro, Deputy Director General of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Armed Services Committee on Wednesday: “The vaccine is the right thing to do, it’s clearly safe for service members. “
The percentage of those who decided not to receive a vaccine reflects the acceptance rate in the United States, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday. The estimate of one-third is the first time the department has said publicly how many service members do not want to be vaccinated.
The Department of Defense administered 916,575 vaccine doses, according to Kirby, which accounts for nearly 90% of the doses. The department is expected to exceed the 1 million dose mark by the end of the week, he added.
The military could not make vaccinations mandatory for troops because it only used an emergency and did not receive full authorization from the food and drug administration, Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, the joint surgeon.
“There is a legal limit to making it mandatory for our troops and our families,” Kirby told Pentagon reporters. “Therefore, it is now a voluntary base.”
The Department of Defense does not have the vaccine vaccination number for each service or information on denial of vaccination according to demographics, Kirby said. “We do not have a system available in all the services to track data specifically regarding those who, for whatever reason, take or delay the vaccine.”
Friedrichs told the House Armed Service Committee that the military collects relevant data on those receiving a vaccine. “We collect the data on the acceptance rates,” Friedrichs said, which includes data on race and ethnicity. “Our experience reflects the preliminary data we see in other communities. We are actually researching it and continue to collect more data as we administer more vaccines.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received both doses. Kirby said people preferring not to be vaccinated is a “concern” of the secretary, but he understands it is a personal decision.
“This is certainly a concern of the secretary, but he is also aware that it is a voluntary program,” Kirby said during a press conference last week. “While he took the vaccine because he believes it was the right thing to do for him and his health and his family and his ability to do the job, he realizes that it’s a personal decision that everyone has to make. . “
The Department of Defense encourages members concerned about vaccination to read information at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense and consult their physicians if they have any questions, Kirby said.
“We need to continue to educate our power and help them understand the benefits and ensure that there is leadership involvement in discussing the benefits of the vaccine,” Taliaferro said during the House Armed Services hearing. .