The crews of two U.S. Navy ships suffering COVID-19 outbreaks in Bahrain have been offered the vaccine, U.S. 5th Fleet officials said this week.

Twenty crew members aboard the amphibious transport dock San Diego have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in recent weeks, while another 20 on the guided-missile cruiser Philippine Sea have also popped positive, according to 5th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich.

Those positive sailors and Marines have been placed in quarantine in Bahrain, she said, and no one has been hospitalized.

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The command began vaccinating personnel onboard the ships on Saturday, she said.

“While voluntary, a majority of both ships’ crews have received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine,” Rebarich said. “We are encouraging all personnel to get vaccinated.”

San Diego was already in port when the positive tests emerged among the crew last month, while the Philippine Sea was underway when suspected cases started popping up on the ship, prompting a detour to Bahrain.

Geoff is a senior staff reporter for Military Times, focusing on the Navy. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was most recently a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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