Up to 10,000 More Troops To Be Deployed to Aid Vaccination Efforts

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has approved the deployment of 20 more military teams to assist states in administering COVID-19 vaccines. This follows last week’s approval of 5 teams of 220 troops each, consisting of medical personnel and support troops. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday that the 20 teams will consist of 10 teams of 222 personnel supporting mega-vaccination sites and 10 teams of 139 personnel helping at smaller ones, reported The Hill, for a total of 4,700 troops. All the teams, largely made up of active duty forces, will be sent out “as requirements evolve,” Kirby said. So far, only one of the first five teams has deployed. A team from Fort Carson, Colorado has arrived in Los Angeles to assist at a vaccination mega-hub and expects to be up and running by Feb. 15.