The US Department of Defence (DOD) said on Monday that it is moving to mandate COVID-19 vaccine for all military service members, following the full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine announced earlier in the day by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a press conference that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is “prepared to issue updated guidance requiring all service members to be vaccinated,” adding that the move aims “to ensure the safety of our service members and promote the readiness of our force”, Xinhua news agency reported.