According to the latest reports issued by the Pentagon, one-third of the US troops have refused to take the vaccination to shield themselves from the coronavirus.
The statement issued by the Pentagon on 17th Feb 2021 points to the low acceptance rate of the virus.
Major General Jeff Taliaferro, the top official in the US military has indicated the two-third acceptance rate of the virus.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff has pointed that the data obtained only indicates the initial look.
It is not conclusive data and can vary by different groups.
He also suggests that some troops are refusing the vaccination because it is not compulsory for them to take it.
While the army believes taking the vaccination is the right course of action to take, it remains a personal choice.
The National Guard Bureau’s head of operation told the panel regarding the acceptance rate of the National Guard that reflects the military to a great extent.
According to Bob Salesses, the homeland defense and global security’s acting defense secretary, DOD (Department of Defense) received around 916,000 doses of the vaccination.
In that, around 359,000 personals have received at least one dose of the vaccination, while one lakh forty-seven thousand personals received full vaccination dose.
The report published in the Military times also suggests the DOD will complete the vaccination process of its military, civilian, and contractor workforce only by late July or early August.
The defense force that tackles enemies with their power is not feeling safe to get the shots with no approval from the FDA.
It will take another two years for the FDA to approve the vaccination.
Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccination have only approval to use it for emergencies.
So, the authorization provided by the FDA indicates its lack of full clearance.
The release of the data comes after the failure to release the exact number of soldiers declining the shots.
Addressing the allegation of a cover-up, the spokesperson for the agency, John Kirby informed the news outlets about the reason for the lack of exact data.
The agency has no system in place to track the soldiers who have received vaccination.
The agency says it respects the privacy of the people who are declining to get the vaccine for whatever reason.
Is the troops’ reaction a reflection of the interests of the public?
The Pentagon has yet not commented on the issue.
As reported by GreatGameIndia earlier, according to a survey more than half of Americans do not want COVID-19 vaccine.
The study has also looked into the concerns among people reluctant to receive the jabs, with 68 per cent of people saying they are worried about the long term effects of the vaccines.
Even the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg said that COVID-19 vaccines will change your DNA and that he does not know what would be its long-term effects.
Recently, even the former Vice President of Zambia, Dr. Nevers Mumba declared that COVID-19 vaccines made by foreign manufacturers should not be injected into any Zambians if it cannot be verified and validated by local Zambian scientists.
