Navy Will Make COVID-19 Vaccination Mandatory As Soon as We Can: 3-Star Admiral
Hospitalman Roman Silvestri administers one of the first COVID-19 vaccines given at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth to Cmdr. Joseph Kotora, Dec. 15, 2020. (U.S. Navy/Seaman Imani N. Daniels)
12 Feb 2021
Thousands of Navy personnel are about to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine ahead of an upcoming deployment and while sailors aren t required to take the shot yet, they soon could be.
Members of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group will get the option to receive the first dose of the vaccine for COVID-19, the sometimes-fatal illness caused by the coronavirus, on Saturday. So far, about 80% of the crew roughly 5,000 strike group members say they intend to get the shots, Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, U.S. Second Fleet commander, told reporters Friday.