Pentagon requires COVID-19 vaccinations for civilian employees by Nov. 22

The Pentagon is requiring that all civilian employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 22 – a move affecting more than 700,000 individuals.

The Pentagon had previously ordered all 1.3 million active-duty service members to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. To date, over 93% have received at least one dose.

But Fox News obtained a memo signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, which directs civilian employees to also become vaccinated.

“All DoD civilian employees must be fully vaccinated by November 22, 2021, subject to exemptions as required by law,” Hicks wrote, noting that employees are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, like Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna, or two weeks after receiving a single dose of a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson.

“New DoD civilian employees must be fully vaccinated by their entry on duty (start) date or November 22, 2021, whichever is later,” Hicks wrote.

Hicks cited the executive order President Biden signed last month, directing all executive branch agencies to implement a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for federal employees to “ensure the health and safety of the Federal workforce and members of the public with whom they interact.” – READ MORE