The Pentagon has said it will make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for all members of the US military by mid-September, amid an alarming surge in infections by the Delta variant.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo he would ask President Joe Biden to approve the move in about five weeks, even if none of the current vaccines gains full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
But the order could come earlier if the Pfizer vaccine gets approval before then. Officials say they think Pfizer could earn full FDA approval by the beginning of September.
Because the Covid-19 vaccines have only had emergency approval, the US military has until now not required troops to have them, as it does for other inoculations.