WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon says there are “active discussions” within the department about making COVID-19 vaccine booster shots mandatory for service members, even as thousands refuse or seek exemptions from the initial shot mandate. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says there have been no final decisions on the matter. He says Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “absolutely encourages people, if they can and if they qualify, to get the booster. But right now there is no requirement for it.” The department in August announced that it would begin requiring all members of the military – including National Guard and Reserves – to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
