Pentagon to mandate COVID-19 vaccine, as Pfizer is approved

The Pentagon says it will require service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon says it will require service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making good on his vow earlier this month to require the shots once the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine. Kirby said guidance is being developed and a timeline will be provided in the coming days. In a memo Aug. 9, Austin said he'd seek the president’s approval to make the vaccine mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon FDA licensure “whichever comes first.”