Defense Secretary Orders US Troops to Quickly Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin listens as President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the U.S. military’s ongoing evacuation efforts in Afghanistan in the White House on Aug. 20, 2021. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

U.S. military department heads were ordered on Aug. 24 to “immediately” start getting their troops vaccinated against COVID-19, two days after the first COVID-19 vaccine received full federal approval.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memorandum made public on Aug. 25 that the secretaries of all military departments must “immediately begin full vaccination” of all service members who aren’t already vaccinated.