HIV-positive individuals may now serve in the U.S. military, but the Pentagon continues to ban those who refuse to get vaccinated for COVID-19 from serving. The Department of Defense (DOD) updated a previous rule barring HIV-positive members from serving, saying that members with the virus may not be discharged as long as they do not display symptoms, according to an official memo made public Wednesday. Military personnel can be discharged or reassigned for other reasons, including refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. Army began carrying out orders to discharge all unvaccinated personnel in January.
