Members of the US military will need to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting in September
- Members of the US military will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 starting September 15, the Associated Press reported.
- According to the report, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will send a memo later Monday announcing the policy.
- "I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so," Austin said, per the AP.
Members of the US Military will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 starting September 15, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press.
In the memo expected to be sent out later Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he would ask for President Joe Biden's approval to mandate vaccines beginning in the middle of September.
The date could be pushed up if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens or if the US Food and Drug Administration gives final approval to the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine by early September. It has been authorized for emergency use since December 2020.
"I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so," Austin said, per the AP.
Biden had pushed for the military to require the vaccines in an announcement last month, adding that all federal workers would need to get the vaccine or be tested regularly.
In a statement Monday, Biden said he supported Austin's directive.
"Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible," Biden said. "These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective."
He added: "I am proud that our military women and men will continue to help lead the charge in the fight against this pandemic, as they so often do, by setting the example of keeping their fellow Americans safe."
Editor's Note: This article incorrectly stated the date by which US military members would need to be vaccinated. The vaccination mandate would begin in mid-September.