Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

DOD officials provide COVID-19 response update

Image of DOD officials provide COVID-19 response update. DOD officials provide COVID-19 response update

Three Defense Department officials spoke at a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the department's support for the COVID-19 response.

Robert G. Salesses, performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security, was asked what the department is doing to address the concern that a third of all service members are reportedly not planning to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

"There's a lot of misinformation out there about the vaccine. The vaccine is safe," he said at the Feb. 25 hearing. "I think that what we need to do is ensure that we have the right level of education and awareness and use our military chain of command to educate and train people and to clear up those misconceptions."

Salesses added that the commands have been getting involved for the last 60 days, providing education forums, holding town halls, and communicating through other means.

Although the DOD cannot mandate service members to receive the vaccine because it is being made available on an emergency use authorization, Salesses said the department has implemented social distancing, mask wearing and telework on an unprecedented scale, as well as testing and contact tracing.

A senator remarked that 80% of needles and syringes in use in the U.S. originated from China.

Stacy A. Cummings, performing the duties of under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said that figure was correct and that the department has assisted the Department of Health and Human Services with transportation to get those needles and syringes into the U.S. to support the delivery of vaccines.

She noted that the U.S. could and should increase production domestically in the future.

"We have an opportunity to leverage both the authorities of the Defense Production Act and the authorities of the Economy Act to invest in syringes and needles. We have actually invested in some innovative technology for vaccine delivery to increase the domestic production here in the United States so that those capabilities can be made here. We are on the road to seeking solutions to that problem, we have made some investments to date. And I think that there are more investments to be made in the future," she said.

In addition to leveraging the Economy Act and the DPA, Cummings said the department has also found the CARES Act useful in Title 3 funding.

The DOD has also played a vital role supporting interagencies in acquiring and delivering medical resources, to include personal protective equipment, and to establishing and strengthening the domestic medical industrial base, she noted.

Army Gen. Gustave F. Perna, chief operating officer of the federal COVID-19 response for vaccine and therapeutics, also testified.

"This virus attacked our nation. It attacked our way of life, and it impacted every American. But it became obvious that our nation had never fought this type of enemy before, and that there was no single government or private organization that had the capacity, capability or expertise to execute the mission of defeating this virus," Perna said.

"Through unprecedented collaboration from our best public and private experts in science, logistics, manufacturing and security, our nation rose to the challenge, because of our whole-of-America approach and the collective efforts of the federal, state and local governments, private industry, and the health care community," he added.

Perna said there will be enough vaccines available to all Americans by this summer, and there have already been about 90 million doses delivered across all states and territories to date.

"We will defeat this virus. We will win. We have a lot of work in front of us. And we will not rest until every American has access to vaccines and therapeutics," he added.

Perna was asked to give a candid assessment of what the department and other agencies need to do in the coming months to ensure the nation is better prepared for similar disasters.

The general said the U.S. must plan for the role it will take in ensuring that the rest of the world gets the vaccine. Planning and preparations must also be made should there be a need for booster vaccinations against future variants. And finally, decisions will need to be made about how much manufacturing and supply chain capability should be resident in the U.S.

You also may be interested in...

Consolidated Department of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 Force Health Protection Guidance

Policy

Consolidates and updates the Department’s guidance regarding vaccination verification, vaccination status, COVID-19 testing, surveillance and screening testing, personnel protection on-site mask requirements, (e.g., DHA military medical treatment facilities, meetings, travel), and the protection of personally identifiable information.

  • Identification #: 22-006
  • Date: 8/18/2022
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19

DHA-IPM 20-004: Department of Defense (DOD) Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Implementation

Policy

Establishes the Defense Health Agency’s procedures to implement instructions, assign responsibilities, and prescribe procedures for the DHA’s implementation of the DOD’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program.

  • Identification #: DHA-IPM 20-004
  • Date: 6/16/2022
  • Type: DHA Interim Procedures Memorandum
  • Topics: COVID-19

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Attestation, Screening Testing, and Vaccination Verification

Policy

This memorandum provides guidance on the implementation of vaccination, attestation, and testing requirements in accordance with the References listed in Attachment 1 to reduce the transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.

  • Identification #: 21-004
  • Date: 11/3/2021
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19

Medical Logistics Guidance for the DoD Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program

Policy

Establishes the DHA's procedures for ordering, receiving, and managing COVID-19 Vaccines inventory and ancillary kits for enduring COVID-19 support.

  • Identification #: 6025.01
  • Date: 5/10/2021
  • Type: DHA Procedural Instruction
  • Topics: COVID-19

TAB A MEO COVID19 Medical Coding Policy

Policy

Memorandum for DHA Staff - Military Medical Treatment Facilities to Implement Updated DHA COVID-19 Medical Coding Policy

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Date: 3/25/2021
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19

DHA COVID19 Medical Coding PolicyV5 1v

Policy

Establishes the DHA procedures to standardize the coding for Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) within military medical treatment facilities (MTFs). This memorandum replaces DHA-Policy Memorandum 20-003 of July 1, 2020. Attachment 1 was updated to include the 2021 procedure and diagnosis codes for COVID-19, including the new vaccination and treatment codes.

  • Identification #: 20-003
  • Date: 3/25/2021
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19

Supplemental Guidance for Providing DOD Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccines to DOD Contractor Employees and Select Foreign Nationals

Policy

This memorandum provides supplemental guidance on the provision of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, in accordance with reference (a). The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is the lead coordinating DOD Component for executing this guidance, in coordination with the Military Departments and other DOD Components as appropriate.

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Date: 12/31/2020
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19

HA Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Laboratory Pre-Testing Questionnaire

Policy

This memorandum provides guidance for a COVID-19 laboratory pre-testing questionnaire that will be mandatory for all Active Duty Service members and encouraged for all other DOD beneficiaries treated at military medical treatment facilities.

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Date: 12/17/2020
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19

Executive Order on Ensuring Access to United States Government COVID-19 Vaccines

Policy

This EO outlines who should receive priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed in the United States or procured by the United States Government (“United States Government COVID-19 Vaccines”).

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Date: 12/8/2020
  • Type: Directives
  • Topics: COVID-19

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Guidance

Policy

This memorandum provides guidance on the provision of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is the lead coordinating DOD Component for executing this guidance, in coordination with the Military Departments and other DOD Components.

  • Identification #: N/A
  • Date: 12/7/2020
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19

Return to the Workplace Staffing Plan in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Environment

Policy

Establishes the DHA's plan to return to full operations and support the whole-of-government response, during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

  • Identification #: 3020.01
  • Date: 11/3/2020
  • Type: Administrative Instructions
  • Topics: COVID-19

Military Medical Treatment Facilities to Implement Updated DHA COVID-19 Medical Coding Policy

Policy

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) Memorandum, based on the authority of References (a) and (b), and in accordance with the guidance of References (c) and (d), establishes the DHA’s procedures to standardize the coding for Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Military Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs). This memorandum cancels and replaces DHA- Policy Memorandum 20-003 of (13 April 2020). A change was issued since the cancelled Memorandum 20-003 of (13 April 2020), the Attachment titles were updated to reflect that Attachments 1, 2, and 4 are considered Policies as opposed to Guidance.

  • Identification #: 20-003
  • Date: 5/13/2020
  • Type: Memorandums
  • Topics: COVID-19
Page 1 of 1 , showing items 1 - 12
Refine your search
Last Updated: May 04, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery