The shadow of anthrax: The voluntary COVID-19 vaccination effort owes much to past failures – By Todd South (Military Times) / June 17 2021
While the military has pursued vaccinating the force against COVID-19 over recent months, taking the shot has remained voluntary.
Even so, the Defense Department has made steady progress in getting the active-duty force vaccinated. Fifty-eight percent of active-duty troops had received at least one dose and 44 percent were fully vaccinated as of May 20, DoD health leaders said.
But not everyone offered the shot has taken it.
In February, reports showed at least a third of troops had declined vaccination. By March, however, acceptance rates were rising, Pentagon officials said.
Each of the services continue to provide incentives, such as fewer liberty restrictions, elimination of movement restrictions before a deployment and maskless work.
