Rep. Barry Moore released a statement regarding reports that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will require all active-duty military members to receive a COVID-19 vaccination regardless of health, age, or other factors. Rep. Thomas Massie introduced legislation to prohibit a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement for troops. At a news conference, Austin said he would consult with medical professionals to implement a new policy, reported CNN. “But we won’t let grass grow under our feet,” he stated. “The President directed us to do something, and we’ll get after it.”
The U.S. military says around half the U.S. armed forces are already fully vaccinated, with the highest vaccination rates in the Navy, reported Reuters. “We have a lot of vaccines that are required for self-protection, and once this one is mandatory, I don’t think that we will have a lot of pushback. I think people will do as they’re required,” an Army official said.
“It is absolutely reckless that Secretary Austin is considering a blanket mandate for active-duty military to receive a vaccine approved only for emergency use to protect against a virus with well over a 99% survival rate,” said Moore. “Our fighting men and women are disproportionately younger, healthier, and significantly less at risk from the coronavirus than the general population, and recent reports show that almost 70% of our men and women in uniform have already voluntarily taken the vaccine. Our servicemembers shouldn’t be unnecessarily forced into taking the vaccine just because overreaching politicians want to continue intervening in the private lives of the American people.”
