Jul 16, 2021 - Politics & Policy

DOD: 70% of active duty service members have received first dose of COVID shot

Erin Doherty

U.S. Army soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, prepare Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate people at the Miami Dade College North Campus on March 10, 2021 — Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, prepare Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate people at the Miami Dade College North Campus on March 10. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Seventy percent of active duty service members have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 62% are fully vaccinated, the Pentagon announced on Friday.

The big picture: The update comes amid initial skepticism toward vaccination, per Politico. In February, approximately one-third of troops had declined the vaccine.

Democratic lawmakers in March urged President Biden to require the vaccine for all service members.
Biden said during an interview with NBC's Craig Melvin in April that it would be a "tough call" about whether he would require service members to get the vaccine once the FDA fully approves it.

What they're saying: In a video statement Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged all service members to get vaccinated.

"You aren't just protecting yourselves, you're also protecting your teammates, your families and your communities and your country," Austin said.

By the numbers: 226,488 service members have been partially vaccinated and 988,318 have been fully vaccinated, as of July 14, according to to the Department of Defense.

Go deeper: Alabama military base 1st in U.S. to require troops show COVID vaccine proof

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DOD: 70% of active duty service members have received first dose of COVID shot

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