The Pentagon will deploy troops to help vaccinate Americans against COVID-19, the White House said Friday.
Coronavirus senior adviser Andy Slavitt announced that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has approved a request for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It means about 1,000 active-duty soldiers will travel to help state vaccination centers.
President Joe Biden has called for the establishment of 100 mass vaccination centers across the country within a month. Two open in California, and Slavitt said military personnel will arrive at the centers in a week or so.
The Pentagon scheduled a news briefing later Friday to provide more information about its military role.
Slavitt said military support will play a critical role in supporting vaccination sites, helping to manage thousands of shots a day.
Currently, approximately 6.9 million Americans have received the full two-dose regimen needed for maximum protection from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. This translates to about 2% of the US population.
In order to achieve widespread immunity or “herd” – about 70% to 85% of Americans must be vaccinated. The United States is in a race for the virus, which also produces mutations that can prove resistant to vaccines.
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