The Defense Department admitted Thursday the force is still far from safety as many troops continue declining to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
For months, the military has struggled to convince service members to accept the voluntary coronavirus vaccine as the department increased its supply to match global distribution. The military is finally catching up, with nearly 1.5 million defense personnel vaccinated. Some 58% of the force has received at least one dose, and 44% has been fully vaccinated. Still, a Pentagon official said the military is far from reaching herd immunity.
“I don’t think we’re close to that yet,” Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, Defense Health Agency director, told the Washington Examiner.
“We’re still having infections every single day in the hundreds,” he added. “Our efforts stop when we’ve eliminated people dying from this disease. Our efforts will stop when we’ve eliminated people being admitted to the hospital for this, and our efforts stop when it stops being a negative aspect to the way that commanders do commander business.”
AUSTIN URGES MILITARY TO TAKE COVID-19 VACCINE AS REFUSALS PERSIST
Place said 29 members of the military are currently hospitalized, the lowest number since June 2020. Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. John Hyten and Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks released a memo to the force Thursday outlining efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The memo calls for engagement with service members “at the lowest level” using trusted messengers such as peers, medical personnel, and leaders.
“These conversations are not easy, they may not be short, and they may require multiple touchpoints, but they are critically important,” the letter stated.
Place said the military has moved from a supply-constrained environment to a “desire-constrained” environment.
“Based on the increasing manufacturing, those that really, really wanted it largely have gotten the vaccine,” he said. “Now, it’s people on the fence or people who, quite frankly, for whatever their personal reasons, have decided not to.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The official said the vaccine is 100% effective against deaths so far. But approximately 1,640 individuals of those vaccinated still came down with the disease, and 24 of those were hospitalized.
Still, Place said the vaccine efficacy rate reported by the Defense Department is 99.99% for infection and 99.99% effective in preventing hospitalization.
