Military members waiting on FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccine, survey says - NewsNation Now

[Rhiannon12866]

Military members waiting on FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccine, survey says.

[DanFan]

1. So have the Secretary of the Navy

order the Marines to get the vaccination. Should be doable, I'd think.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. According to Paul Rieckhoff, who was on MSNBC last night, he thinks it's likely that the president

Will also mandate the vaccine for active military as soon as he gets the recommendation. Since they often travel overseas, they're often required to receive various vaccines as it is and this would be just one more. And that's the thing, most Americans have been receiving necessary vaccines for their entire lives, so it doesn't make sense for all these objections to another one that'll protect them from a deadly disease.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

3. Order has to come from the President

Federal law says military personnel cannot be ordered to take a non FDA approved vaccine unless the President says it is in the interest of national security and orders it. Until that happens, it has to be voluntary only.

[DanFan]

4. Aha! Well, there it is.

Thanks!

[TomSlick]

5. I've been looking for such federal law without success. Do you have a cite?

A vax order seems to me to be a no-brainer as a simple matter of force protection absent a specific statutory prohibition.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

6. 10 USC 1107(f)(1)

(f)Limitation and Waiver.—
(1)In the case of the administration of an investigational new drug or a drug unapproved for its applied use to a member of the armed forces in connection with the member’s participation in a particular military operation, the requirement that the member provide prior consent to receive the drug in accordance with the prior consent requirement imposed under section 505(i)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(i)(4)) may be waived only by the President. The President may grant such a waiver only if the President determines, in writing, that obtaining consent is not in the interests of national security.

[TomSlick]

7. Thanks.

I am surprised that it has taken this long for the presidential waiver to be forthcoming. It really seems easy from a force protection and readiness perspective.