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 Like most of the military, Myers had chosen to get vaccinated - but
was exposed just a day after getting his first dose in January, not
enough time for it to take effect.
"He was really excited to be doing his part for society and for his
family. He wouldn’t have imagined three weeks later he would die
alone in a hospital," his sister, Amber Mattson, wrote on a Facebook
post, imploring people to get vaccinated.
With the Delta variant surging, the Pentagon appears poised to do
something it has not so far - mandate vaccinations to safeguard
against COVID-19. Officials tell Reuters a decision on next steps
could come within days.
The U.S. military says around half the U.S. armed forces are already
fully vaccinated, a number that climbs significantly when counting
only active duty troops and excluding National Guard and reserve
members. Vaccination rates are highest in the Navy, which suffered
from a high-profile outbreak last year aboard an aircraft carrier.
About 73% of sailors are fully vaccinated.
That compares with the U.S. national average of about 60% of adults
ages 18 and over who have been fully vaccinated.
Because U.S. troops are generally younger and fitter, relatively few
U.S. servicemembers like Myers have died as a result of COVID-19 -
just 28 in total, according to Pentagon data.
For the general U.S. population, however, the pandemic has been
devastating, leading to the biggest decline in life expectancy in
the first half of 2020 since World War 2. More than 611,000 people
have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
President Joe Biden could issue a waiver requiring troops to get
vaccinated prior to formal vaccine approval by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration. Last week, he appeared to move a step closer by
asking the Pentagon "to look into how and when they will add
COVID-19" to its list of mandatory vaccinations.
"Our troops serve in places throughout the world, many where
vaccination rates are low and disease is prevalent," Biden said.
It is unclear if the Pentagon's initial announcements will go beyond
ordering planning for mandatory vaccinations while the Food and Drug
Administration is still weighing formal approval for vaccines, which
are now authorized only for emergency use.
But as the virulent Delta variant wreaks havoc in the United States,
Pentagon officials are voicing growing concern for the safety of
unvaccinated troops, and even U.S. companies like Walmart and Walt
Disney Inc have started vaccination requirements for at least some
employees.
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'SOLDIERS' MINDSET'
Officials acknowledge a significant percentage
of the military population - and their families
- have shunned a voluntary vaccine, especially
since it is not included on the long list of as
many as 17 required vaccinations, for everything
from measles to smallpox.
While some troops may be wary of the new
vaccines, many just believe that it would be
required if it were actually important,
officials say.
 "'We're not going
to do it if we're not ordered to do it' - soldiers' mindset I
guess," said one Army official.
Another suggested a vaccine mandate would solve the problem.
"We have a lot of vaccines that are required for self-protection and
once this one is mandatory, I don't think that we will have a lot of
pushback. I think people will do as they're required," another
official said.
Vaccinations have also become a political issue in the United States
- as have discussions about making them mandatory for the armed
forces.
Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican lawmaker from Kentucky,
introduced legislation to prohibit a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination
requirement for troops. Still, its prospects look dim in the
Democratic-controlled House. Kori Schake, a former
national security official now at the American Enterprise Institute
think-tank, said servicemembers should be vaccinated against
COVID-19 as a matter of military preparedness.
"This isn't even a close call," Schake wrote in a column.
Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the
hope was that the FDA moves toward giving the COVID-19 vaccines full
approval. That would make mandating the vaccine less controversial.
 Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday
he hopes regulators could start granting full approval for the
vaccines as soon as this month.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, appeared to
tip his hand by suggesting a willingness to mandate vaccines.
"Quite frankly, I'm inclined to move towards making sure that
everybody is properly protected," Austin said in the Philippines
last week.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Mary Milliken
and Dan Grebler)
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