12 Star Message

Adm. Christopher Grady, Adm. John Aquilino, and Adm. Robert Burke

As your fleet commanders, we want each of you to know we are aligned with CNO’s recommendation, and we also fully support that each of you strongly consider receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine takes a crucial step in our fight against covid-19 and is essential to protect you, our shipmates, our families, and the nation we defend. This is a ‘we, not me’ issue - the continuation of our unselfish personal and professional behavior that we have collectively displayed over the last year to mitigate the effects and spread of the virus. Not only is it about your safety, but about each of your shipmates. Together we did a phenomenal job over the last year mitigating the effects and spread of the virus. The vaccine moves us one step closer to unencumbered operations at sea, in port, and on liberty.

The Navy leads the way on understanding COVID-19, developing protocols, and mitigating risk, keeping our forces operating at sea and delivering mission assurance to our combatant commanders. We will continue to lead the way in ensuring our Navy and our nation stay healthy and COVID-19 free.

The vaccine has an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and therefore your decision to receive the vaccine is voluntary. Consider these medical facts about the COVID-19 vaccine to help inform your decision: results.

A. The technology used to develop the vaccine has been in use for the last 10 years. We are confident in the safety and the effectiveness of these vaccines.

B. The standard three phase trials fully tested these vaccines and were not abbreviated nor rushed. Due to the extreme nature and critical need to produce the vaccine and provide it to the public safely and quickly, our country expended every resource and made development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines a top priority.

Authorization for use came quickly because the FDA accelerated the vaccines to the front of the line at every step. No compromises on safety or efficacy were made.

C. Testing indicates 95% effectiveness at preventing COVID-19.

D. More than 21,000 trial participants received the prescribed two doses of the authorized vaccine, with no recipient reporting serious side effects. About half experienced mild fever, fatigue, or muscle soreness lasting no more than a few days, which is normal for most vaccines. To this point, only seven out of 556,000 people have had an allergic reaction to the vaccine.

E. The vaccine contains no live virus. The vaccine will activate your immune system so your body can fight the virus and does not pose a threat to family members or others once administered.

F. Prior to issuing the EUA, the experts at the FDA and CDC reviewed and validated the complete trial results.

Your commanding officers will inform you when the vaccine is ready and where to report to receive it. The local medical providers will issue the vaccine and update your record. The vaccine available today requires two doses about three weeks apart.

As your fleet commanders, we believe in the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Along with the fleet master chiefs, we will take the vaccine as soon as it is available.

The COVID-19 vaccine marks a turning point in our battle against the virus and will turn the tide on the pandemic to improve the collective health and safety of the fleet and our families, reinvigorate our personal lives, recover resilience, and establish us on the path towards normal operations. You’ve all done a tremendous job operating in a covid-19 environment over the past year, now let’s put COVID-19 behind us!