All civilian employees of the Department of Defense will have to be fully vaccinated from the coronavirus by Nov. 22.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced the deadline in a memorandum issued on Monday. While there are approximately seven weeks between when the deadline was issued and when it goes into effect, Hicks noted that individuals would not be considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after getting their final shots, thus setting Nov. 8 as the final day to get a jab.
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Those who decide to get the Moderna vaccine must get the first shot by Oct. 11, while those who want to get the Pfizer vaccine must do so by Oct. 18. In both cases, they would then have an additional deadline, Nov. 8, to receive the second and final dose.
Hicks’s memo also states that civilian DOD employees “must be prepared to provide a copy of their COVID-19 vaccine record in order to meet forthcoming procedures for DoD COVID-19 vaccination verification.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin mandated vaccinations for service members late last month, shortly after the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine received the Food and Drug Administration’s full authorization.
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The Air Force has the earliest deadline to get the vaccine among the service branches. Active-duty Navy sailors and Marine Corps members must be vaccinated by Nov. 28, while active-duty members of the Army need to be vaccinated by Dec. 15.
A service member can apply for an exemption from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine for medical or religious reasons, though service members who do not qualify could face disciplinary action if they refuse.
