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Nearly 68% of active-duty military have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose, but that still leaves many military members vulnerable to the delta variant of the virus, Pentagon health officials said.
Due to the effectiveness of the Ministry of Defense’s ongoing vaccination program, the number of COVID-19 cases in the branch is declining and facility commanders have reduced local fitness coverage conditions, or HPCON levels, said Dr. Terry Adirim, acting undersecretary of defense for fitness. . business, he said today at a press conference at the Pentagon.
“However, the Delta variant poses a risk to this return to normalcy,” Adirim said. “We are specifically concerned about the effect of the Delta variant on our unvaccinated or partially vaccinated population, and its potential spread in facilities in areas of the country with low vaccination rates. “
According to the military fitness system, the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is more transmissible, causes more severe illness, and causes more hospitalizations and deaths than any strain of the virus.
The DOD has an active whole genome sequencing program to identify which strain of the virus is provided in those who test positive for COVID-19, Adirim said.
“We are closely monitoring the number of DOD cases, positivity rates, and the prevalence of the delta variant among all other variants of concern,” he said. “We anticipate that fitness coverage situations are likely to be replaced in the long term in some of our services. due to outbreaks resulting from the maximum transmutability of the delta variant. “
The more virulent delta variant is spreading in communities with lower vaccination rates, he said, and will most likely become the main variant in the United States.
“The delta variant poses a risk to our military who are not fully vaccinated,” Adirim said. “The way to defeat the Delta variant is to be fully vaccinated. “
Studies have shown that one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is about 33% effective compared to the delta variant, while two doses are at least 88% effective, Adirim said.
“We’re making a big investment to make sure our military and other recipients get either dose,” he said. “So the most important thing is to get vaccinated, they’re effective. “
Across the Ministry of Defense, including military personnel, their family members, civilians and contractors, there were 303,000 cases of COVID-19 and 355 deaths similar to the disease.
Currently, about 21 more people are hospitalized with COVID-19 at DOD facilities, Army Lt. Gen. Ronald J. said. Place, director of the Defense Health Agency.
“This is down from the peak of 240 hospitalized patients on January 8 of this year, necessarily the lowest point seen since the early days of the pandemic,” Place said.
If those who haven’t yet been vaccinated want more proof of the vaccine’s efficacy, Place said, it’s the prestige of those who have recently been hospitalized in the military’s fitness system. Of the 21 people who tested positive for COVID at DOD hospitals, he said, none of them are vaccinated.
“As we approach Independence Day, all the signals within the Ministry of Defence are moving in a positive direction,” he said. “We thank our military and Department of Defense workforce corps who have been vaccinated and continue to strongly inspire the remaining members of the military. , DOD retirees, all of their families, and the DOD workforce to get vaccinated, for themselves, their families, and the community. “