US pauses plan to offer coronavirus vaccine to Guantanamo prisoners

The U.S. is backing off for now on a plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to the 40 prisoners held on the detention middle at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Pentagon leader spokesman John Kirby stated in a tweet Saturday that the Protection Division can be “pausing” the plan to offer the vaccination to these held at Guantanamo whilst it critiques measures to offer protection to troops who paintings there.

Kirby stated no prisoners had but gained the vaccination. The plan drew some grievance after The New York Instances reported that the vaccination of prisoners would get started within the coming days.

“We’re pausing the plan to transport ahead, as we assessment power coverage protocols,” Kirby stated. “We stay dedicated to our duties to stay our troops secure.”

The U.S. army introduced previous this month that it deliberate to provide the vaccine to prisoners because it vaccinated all workforce on the detention middle.

On the time, U.S. Southern Command stated it anticipated to have sufficient vaccine for the entire roughly 1,500 workforce assigned to the detention middle. It stated that the vaccine can be presented to prisoners however didn’t plan to expose what number of in truth gained it as a result of clinical privateness laws.

There were no reported instances of coronavirus a number of the detention middle prisoners. Early within the pandemic the U.S. army stopped reporting instances at person bases for safety causes.

The U.S. opened the detention middle in January 2002 to carry detainees suspected of hyperlinks to al-Qaida and the Taliban. Those that stay come with 5 males dealing with a tribulation by way of army fee for his or her alleged roles making plans and assisting the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults.