A paratrooper assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, prepares for an Airborne Operation at Fort Bragg, NC on May 7.
Spc. Hubert Delany III | US Army
WASHINGTON – Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical advisor, said on Thursday that US service representatives who are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine but opt-out inadvertently “are part of the problem” of extending the pandemic.
“You are part of the solution to this outbreak,” Fauci explained to a virtual audience at a town hall with Blue Star Families, a nonprofit that deals with issues facing military families.
“Because by getting infected, even though you may not know it, you inadvertently transfer the infection to someone else, even though you don’t have any symptoms,” Fauci said. “In reality, whether you like it or not, you are propagating this outbreak. So instead of being part of the solution, you are being innocent and unintentional part of the problem by not getting vaccinated.”
“You have to think about your own health, which is really, really important, but you also have to think about your social duty, including people close to you, as well as other family members of other individuals,” Fauci said.
Last month, the Pentagon acknowledged that about a third of US military personnel refused to take the voluntary coronavirus vaccine.
US Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Felicia White, a supply chief at Camp Kinser Post Office, has her arm disinfected to receive her second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at US Naval Hospital Okinawa, at Camp Foster, March 2, 2021.
US Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Larsen US Marine Corps
When asked if military leadership were disappointed with the disclosure, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters last month that the decision to take the vaccine was ultimately up to each member of the force.
“Everyone is different and we want – what the secretary wants – is for the men and women of the department to make the best and most informed decision for them and for their health and the health of their families,” Kirby said, adding that the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been given the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for the Pentagon’s coronavirus efforts, has ordered thousands of military personnel to help vaccinate communities across the country.
Last week, Austin embarked on his first official journey since ascending to the top spot of the Pentagon to meet with military commanders who oversaw the Covid-19 response in California.
Austin also visited a FEMA vaccination center in Los Angeles, the first manned by both active military teams and National Guard personnel.
Soldiers on active duty and Army National Guard prepare to receive a mock vaccine as recipients during an exercise at California State University, Los Angeles, February 14, 2021.
Captain of the United States Army. Daniel Parker | US Army
Austin said the Pentagon has prioritized providing factual information to the police to bolster confidence.
“There is a certain amount of mistrust and I think we have to work collectively to dispel rumors and provide facts to people,” Austin told reporters traveling with him. “And it has been my experience that, armed with the facts, people tend to make the right decisions.”
“My advice to everyone is, I mean, this saves lives. And it’s not just about saving our lives, it’s also about saving our partner’s lives, our neighbors’ lives, and in the military, you know, we thrive on teamwork and we should also think of our teammates, ”he added.