Nov. 2, 2021 DOD Civilian Employees Must Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 by Nov. 22, Official Says The Defense Department civilian employees must be fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 shot series by Nov. 22 — that date includes the two-week waiting period for full vaccination effectiveness following the final vaccine dose, a DOD official said.
Aug. 24, 2021 DOD intends to mandate Pfizer vaccine, Pentagon official says Since the Food and Drug Administration granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, it's very likely the vaccine will soon become mandatory for Defense Department personnel, the Pentagon press secretary said.
Aug. 9, 2021 Austin seeks presidential approval for mandatory troop vaccinations by mid-September The COVID-19 vaccine will be mandatory for service members by mid-September, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a message to the force.