I know what you’re thinking, because I was thinking the same thing while reading this story. Does the Pentagon not recommend regular vaccinations for troops?
Do it. But it can only order staff to get a chance if the shot is fully approved by the FDA for the general public. Neither Pfizer nor Moderna received full approval; they have received permission for emergency use to accelerate their availability in the midst of a terrible crisis. That bureaucratic ripple means that the army’s hands are briefly tied up, even though protection against COVID is a matter of basic readiness. Until the FDA gives full approval, the Department of Defense is stuck in conquering troops to be immunized instead of leading them.
The rule restricting the Pentagon’s authority to draft vaccines, unless approved for public use, was, in my view, designed to protect soldiers from the treatment of medical guinea pigs for new pharmaceutical treatments by Uncle Sam. In summary, this is a good rule of thumb, but an absurd outcome in the case of a product that was administered to nearly 50 million Americans by the end of the summer. No one is “experimenting” on the military by giving them an mRNA vaccine at this point.
But rules are rules and vaccine skeptics are taking advantage. And as you can guess, refuseniks are young.
About one-third of the troops actively serving or in the national guard refused to take the vaccine, military officials recently told Congress. In some places, such as Fort Bragg, NC, the country’s largest military installation, acceptance rates are below 50 percent …
While Pentagon officials say they do not collect specific data on those who refuse the vaccine, there is a broad consensus that refusal rates among younger members are much higher, and that designated staff are more likely to say no than officers. Military spouses apparently share the hesitation: In a December poll of 674 active-duty family members conducted by Blue Star Families, a military advocacy group, 58 percent said they would not allow their children to receive the vaccine …
“I prefer not to be the one testing this vaccine,” [one airman] explained in an email. She also said that because vaccine access became a campaign theme during the 2020 White House race, she was more skeptical, adding that some of her colleagues told her that they would rather separate from the military than take the vaccine if it became mandatory.
Reports of vaccinations older within DOD have been circulating for at least a month. The main reason why younger soldiers are more likely to refuse than older people, I suppose, is the well-known fact that you are less likely to have debilitating consequences due to a case of COVID if you are 25 than 65. If you believe that the vaccine itself is risky, the likelihood of you becoming seriously ill if you are infected will affect your risk calculator. Younger troops are also likely to spend more time online than older people, exposing them to more anti-wax propaganda. (“Some of the concerns stem from misinformation that has been circulating on Facebook and other social media, including the false rumor that the vaccine contains a microchip intended to monitor recipients, that it will permanently eliminate the body’s immune system or that it’s a form of government control. ”And as far as basic psychology is concerned, younger troops may have the opportunity to rebel more against the Pentagon’s authority over them than the buyer who usually exercises that authority.
“What we see now is similar to what we see throughout the United States, because … a higher percentage of people who are older prefer to take the vaccine, and it tends to age,” he said. Air Force General told the Military Times earlier this month. He’s right. According to the latest survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 77 percent of Americans aged 65 or older got a chance or plan to do so as soon as possible. But only 41 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 say the same thing.
Some of the vaccines may be military-specific, such as memories of side effects caused by the anthrax vaccine in the late 1990s. But much of it can be explained by simple demographics. If it is true that the military is more Republican than the general population, it goes without saying that it may also be more skeptical about vaccinating COVID. A total of 75 percent of Democrats in the general population got their first shot or will do so as soon as possible according to the KFF poll mentioned above, but only 41 percent of Republicans will do so. The same poll showed that 41 percent of black Americans got a chance or planned to do so as soon as possible, compared to 61 percent of whites.
But if it is true that the army’s vaccination against vaccines is mostly just a reflection of the general public, there is room for optimism. Because the public is getting excited about the idea of being vaccinated:
While the spread of COVID-19 vaccine continues across the United States, the latest KFF COVID-19 vaccine monitor reports that a majority (55%) of American adults now say that they have received at least one dose of the vaccine (18%) or that they will receive it as soon as they can (37%), compared to 47% in January and 34% in December. The proportion who want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for others before vaccinating themselves has declined from 31% in January to 22% in February, while a persistent one in five say they will get the vaccine “only if work, school or other activities ”(7%) or will“ definitely not ”be vaccinated (15%).
Inevitably, as the number of vaccinations skyrockets, some in the “wait and see” group will conclude that it should be safe, otherwise reports of serious side effects would be widespread. The arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could also ease the opposition:
The problem for the Pentagon in buying fencing seats is that it is a strictly hierarchical organization. It is very good if you have the power to give vaccinations, but may be counterproductive if you are forced to persuade people. One researcher pointed out to the Times that the biggest factor in convincing someone to get the jab is whether they know someone personally who received it themselves, evidence that trust – not pressure from authority figures – is the right way. KFF’s data also show:
The buyer can only do what it can, which is why SecDef Lloyd Austin put out the video embedded below a few days ago. But I wonder if it would not be more effective for COs to try to identify more popular members of their units and do what they can through friendly persuasion to convince those soldiers to give the jump. If someone who likes and trusts many of his comrades can set an example, it can have a ‘viral’ effect on those around him in terms of their willingness to be vaccinated. That plus an educational campaign on the safety of the vaccine could be the best the Pentagon can do until the FDA finally issues the full approval of the shot, and then can be ordered to be pinned.