why is military banning covid survivors

So far, it has made more than 260 recommendations. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Senior Research Fellow, Center for National Defense. Updated guidance allows unhospitalized COVID-19 survivors to join the military, Pentagon working on guidance for garrison commanders in states lifting coronavirus stay-at-home orders, Women in the military: Moving beyond firsts, Ex-soldier, a neo-Nazi, gets 45 years for plot to ambush his own unit, Issues with the Armys Europe-based equipment trigger readiness alarms, Veterans Affairs drops mask requirement for all agency medical offices, Tax scams How to report them Money Minute, Capitol Hill weighs action on two controversial topics: medical marijuana and abortion, Lockheed wins hypersonics contract | Defense Dollars, Go inside a secret nuclear fallout bunker sealed for decades, How the Marine Corps is preparing for era of contested logistics, Perennial pilot shortage puts Air Force in precarious position, Pentagon again denies helping Ukraine attack targets inside Russia. It's unclear if the military will dismiss these service members once they recover from coronavirus. To be sure, COVID-19 has shown to be a virus with enormous capacity to inflict damage on those with severe cases. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The Army National Guard and Reserve deadline to receive the vaccine was June 30, the latest of all the services, which required vaccination last year. No Guard or Reserve soldiers have been approved for a religious exemption after nearly 3,000 requests. DoD may calculate that the sheer number of unemployment claims in March will offset limiting the pool of eligible recruits by leading to a significant spike in interest. Although economic realities may allow the services to temporarily offset tightening medical standards, implementation of this guidance poses questions for whether DoD will be prioritized with virus or antibody testing; if potential recruits will not seek medical care in order to avoid hospitalization; and if it is a sustainable long-term strategy. The DOD continues to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies to stop the spread. The changes include staggered report dates, a mandatory quarantine, initial online learning, and social distancing, which varies with the traditional, rigorous plebe summer training. Those new practices include an initial screening in the recruits home state, a screening at the military entrance processing centers andthen again once they are moved to initial training facilities, with a quarantine before training begins. A military recruitment memo sent out by the US Military Entrance Processing Command (MEPCOM) stated that individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to join the military even after they recover. The vaccines have some rare side effects, including heart inflammation that has affected at least 22 service members, according to a study from the JAMA Network. The results help light the way. As the coronavirus rages on throughout parts of the United . Updated guidelines follow a 24-hour news cycle of confusion. Due to underlying structural barriers, a blanket ban on previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors - regardless of their current health status - will disproportionately affect minorities and. DoD will have to meet readiness goals while hoping a vaccine will be widely available to society or at least to troops. The Pentagon's ill-advised new "interim" recruiting policy could cause precisely the harm to service members that it seeks to avoid. Do Democrats need a past superstar to hold the White House in 2024? A defense official told Insider Thursday that the memo, while real, was "interim guidance" that was updated Wednesday. Anyone who tests positive through a lab test or clinical diagnosis can return to MEPS 28 days after their diagnosis. . The Pentagon has not provided any public updates or said when the formal policy will be issued. 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During the screening process, a reported history of confirmed COVID-19 will be annotated Considered disqualifying pic.twitter.com/ZKx91AUbXo. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. The original policy, released earlier this month, began as atotal ban on recruits whohad been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past. People already in the military who are hospitalized with COVID-19 will not automatically be disqualified from further service, the official said. I never realized: Airbnb hosts warn of scam taking advantage of Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. DoD is exercising caution in the face of the unknown. On April 13, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued research guidelines for assessing CP as a potential COVID-19 treatment and the American Red Cross is currently seeking blood plasma donors who have fully recovered from novel coronavirus infections. But Jonathan Moreno, a professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, says the Biden administration's approach . The Pentagon has banned survivors of COVID-19 from enlisting in the military, according to a government memo released this week. Its fully capable to defend the country and protect our interests overseas despite the virus. Banning individuals with a COVID-19 history prioritizes recruits who have both the geographic and financial ability to self-isolate. "We're going to give every soldier every opportunity to get vaccinated and continue their military career," Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army Guard, told Military.com in an emailed statement. But SAD duties do not qualify Guardsmen for federal benefits or retirement -- effectively shutting them out of all of the military's service incentives other than a paycheck. In recent weeks, new trainees have been 100-percent tested for COVID-19 before starting training. The COVID-19 vaccines have not been on the Department of Defense's mandatory list. Update: This post has been updated to reflect the US military updated its guidance to only disqualify people who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19. The dangers increase with the . The long-term impact may mean many soldiers would be forced to leave, a devastating outcome especially in the middle of a recruiting crisis as Defense Department officials struggle to fill the ranks. A memo by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, as shared on Twitter and reported by . The Pentagon has raced over the past several months to set up new protocols to prevent any recruit from bringing coronavirus into the military as the pandemic overtook the country. One crewmember passed away from the virus. The Army's deadline is Dec. 15. This time of coronavirus disease 2019 is no different. Stephen Lopez, a 69-year-old from Pleasantville, New York, needed at-home oxygen even after he was discharged but is now recovering well. SAD duties are usually short term. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. The Department of Defense medical waivers are usually . More than 5,000 service members have tested positive for coronavirus with mass screenings occurring at recruiting depots and bootcamp. The Department of Defense remains committed to the health and safety of military members and their families. A Pentagon spokeswoman confirmed the document is authentic,. Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that carries blood components throughout the body . Bored Panda has collected some of the most inspiring photos of these brave Covid-19 survivors. Donovan added that he had spent part of the morning on a call with Senate Armed Services Committee members concerned about the ban, after multiple lawmakers voiced concerns about the effects it would have on recruiting. For example, this summer, theU.S. "In the future, Soldiers who continue to refuse the vaccination order without an exemption may be subject to additional adverse administrative action, including separation," the Army spokesperson said. that the Pentagon is considering the ban on recruiting COVID-19 survivors. An infectious disease such as the coronavirus can introduce tension into these foreign relations. There is no question that the coronavirus threatens the health and well-being of the force. The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, assembled Americas top thinkers to figure that out. Those five days were days of restlessness, sorrow and depression.". The contents of the memo, which has been circulating on the internet, were confirmed to Newsweek by the Pentagon, which described them as "interim guidance." When most people think about the military and the coronavirus, they think of stories such as the hospital ship, USNS Comfort, deploying to New York City, or the National Guard helping with test sites, or the Army Corps of Engineers erecting temporary hospitals this past spring to handle an overload of sick patients. WASHINGTON (AP) Members of the U.S. military will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning next month under a plan laid out by the Pentagon Monday and endorsed by President Joe Biden. New guidance from the US military will bar individuals who have been hospitalized by COVID-19 from enlisting, a defense official told Insider, clarifying the situation after a memo with interim guidance suggesting that anyone who at any point had the virus would be disqualified from military service surfaced online. Asked if a recruit would need a waiver to join if they had contracted the illness and recovered,Donovan said the military will review such instances on a case-by-case basis. As of Friday, 1,148 active-duty soldiers have been removed from the Army for failing to comply with the vaccine mandate. It had been a week since Luis had been sick. Those training events are usually critical for soldiers to sharpen their military skills and for unit commanders to ensure their formations are ready to deploy if needed. The Effect of Coronavirus on the U.S. Military, Biden Proposal Puts Climate Agenda Above Americas Defense, Russias New START Breach Means U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization Is a Must. Doctors, scientists and researchersare still not sure whether the new illness has any short- or long-term effects, including possible damage to the lungs orsusceptibility to contracting the virus at another point in time. Nathalie Grogan and Emma Moore, Center for a New American Security, overrepresented in the essential workforce.. Despite the Pentagon's vaccine . All rights reserved. This medical restriction comes admits ongoing difficulty recruiting from a youth population largely uninterested in and unqualified for service. If there are any indications that a recruit hasnt fully cleared the virus or is still suffering from complications, they could be prevented from moving on to initial entry training. Last week, President Biden raised eyebrows when he announced that federal civilian workers would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, or face measures such as frequent testing, yet didn't extend that mandate to members of the military.. The memo also arrives just as military recruiters prepare to face an onslaught of students deciding their post-graduate summer plans or evaluating whether to return to school in the fall. Due to underlying structural barriers, a blanket ban on previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors regardless of their current health status will disproportionately affect minorities and low-income individuals. This piece is part of the CSIS International Security Program's Transition46 series on Defense360. Soldiers will be allowed to come on duty and earn their pay in order to be vaccinated or to take part in separation procedures. Though more than20,000service members have reportedly contracted coronavirus so far, the number is likely higher due to the seemingly high percentage of asymptomatic carriers of the virus.