A parachutist assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, prepares for an Airborne Operation in Fort Bragg, NC, on May 7.
Spc. Hubert Delany III | American army
WASHINGTON – The White House Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on Thursday that members of the US service who are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, but choose not to do so, are inadvertently “part of the problem “of prolonging the pandemic.
“You are part of the solution to this outbreak,” explained Fauci to a virtual audience during a meeting at City Hall of Blue Star Families, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the problems facing military families.
“Because when you get infected, even if you don’t know it, you can inadvertently pass the infection on to someone else, even without showing symptoms,” said Fauci. “In reality, like it or not, you are spreading this outbreak. So instead of being part of the solution, you are innocently and inadvertently being part of the problem by not being vaccinated.”
“You need to think about your own health, which is really very important, but you need to think about your social obligation, including people close to you personally, as well as other members of other people’s family,” said Fauci.
Last month, the Pentagon acknowledged that about a third of US military service members refused to take the voluntary coronavirus vaccine.
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Felicia White, chief supply officer at the Camp Kinser Post, disinfects her arm to receive her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the United States Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Camp Foster, March 2, 2021.
US Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Larsen | US Marine Corps
When asked whether the military leadership was disappointed by the revelation, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters last month that the decision to get the vaccine was up to each member of the force.
“Everyone is different and what we want – what the secretary wants – is for the men and women in the department to make the best and most informed decision for them and their health and the health of their families,” said Kirby, adding that the secretary of the Defense Lloyd Austin received the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the military’s North American Command, responsible for the Pentagon’s coronavirus efforts, has commissioned thousands of military personnel to help vaccinate communities across the country.
Last week, Austin embarked on his first official trip since ascending to the top spot in the Pentagon to meet with military commanders who oversaw the Covid-19 response effort in California.
Austin also visited an FEMA vaccination center in Los Angeles, the first with active military and National Guard teams.
Soldiers from active duty and the Army National Guard prepare to receive a dummy vaccine during an exercise at California State University, Los Angeles, on February 14, 2021.
US Army Captain Daniel Parker | American army
Austin said the Pentagon has given priority to sending factual information to the force in order to increase confidence.
“There is a degree of distrust and I think we have to work hard collectively to dispel rumors and provide facts to people,” Austin told reporters traveling with him. “And it has been my experience that when armed with facts, people tend to make the right decisions.”
“My advice to everyone is, I mean, it saves lives. And it’s not just about saving our lives, it’s about saving our partner’s life, our neighbor’s life and in the military, you know, we thrive at work as a team and we have to think about our teammates too “, he added.