Texas Governor Greg Abbott told the Department of Defense chief Lloyd Austin that the state will not compel its National Guard personnel to comply with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate set by United States President Joe Biden. The federal mandate directs all members of the military to get inoculated against the deadly disease.

The 20,000 members of the Texas National Guard were told they were included in the executive order signed by Abbott — who has often been vocal against vaccination mandates– that would ban any federal imposition.

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Texas, a state considered to be bent towards the Republican party, has the biggest National Guard in the country. It is unclear how many members have already been vaccinated against COVID-19.

So far, at least five other Republican governors have written to the United States Secretary of Defense about their disagreements with the mandates and have asked the Pentagon to review the requirement.

Abbott, also a member of the Republican party, said in a statement, “If unvaccinated guardsmen suffer any adverse consequences within the State of Texas, they will have only President Biden and his Administration to blame”, according to reports from Associated Press.

Kevin Stitt, the Governor of Oklahoma, has already initiated a lawsuit against the United States Department of Defense for the vaccination mandate. Abbott indicated that he could take similar steps if needed.

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Thousands of members of the military are seeking exemptions or refusing the shots. But overall, the percentage of troops — particularly active duty members — who quickly got the shots exceeds the national average. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 72% of the United States population age 18 or older has gotten at least one shot. In Texas, about 70% of the population age 5 or older has been vaccinated, according to state data.

(With AP inputs)