Today's D Brief: Thousands of troops passing up COVID shot; Russia’s fighter/drone pair; Austin’s NATO debut; Arctic wargames; And a bit more.
By Ben Watson
February 18, 2021 10:56 AM ET
The D Brief
Only two-thirds of U.S. troops offered the COVID vaccine have taken it, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro, vice director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to House lawmakers on Wednesday.
Before you ask: Defense officials later added that they aren’t tracking why so many troops are turning down their opportunity to get the vaccine.
Why isn’t the COVID vaccine mandatory? There’s a bit of history to that, going back to the anthrax vaccinations during the Gulf War. Defense One’s Elizabeth Howe explains why, here.
About 359,000 troops have received their first vaccine dose; about 147,000 of those have received a second dose, said Robert Salesses, acting assistant defense secretary for homeland defense and global security.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/02/the-d-brief-february-18-2021/172129/
