Seven in 10 service members have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, DOD announced Friday in a tweet from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

“I want to thank all of the members of our DOD community who have done their part and gotten vaccinated,” Austin said in a video released with the tweet.

At one point, DOD aimed to have 100% vaccination rate by mid-July. Efforts are still ongoing to reach those who are hesitant to get the shots.

“All of the available vaccines have been authorized by the FDA for a simple reason: They are safe, and they are effective,” Austin said in the video message, thanking service members who are vaccinated and taking safety precautions. “You aren’t just protecting yourselves. You’re also protecting your teammates, your families, your communities and your country.”

So far, the FDA has approved the vaccines on an emergency basis. The services may make the vaccines mandatory later this year after final FDA approval.

Army photo by Pfc. Maxwell Bass