Tens of thousands of U.S. military service members have still not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Now, the military is considering what penalties these members should face.
Most active duty members have received their COVID-19 vaccine shots, and military vaccination rates are higher than the general population. Around 1 to 7 percent remain unvaccinated, or around 60,000 people, the Associated Press reported.
In August, President Joe Biden said he supported a measure to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for service members, among around 17 other mandated vaccines. For some, the decision not to get a vaccine could end their careers, said the AP.
As of Oct. 28, 12,000 Air Force personnel had refused to get shots, said The Washington Post. According to Stars & Stripes, 40 recruits have already been kicked out of the Air Force for refusing to get vaccinated.
Other repercussions for those who reject vaccine mandates could include transfers, travel restrictions, limits on deployments and loss of bonuses, said the outlet. Those who remain unvaccinated will need to get regular COVID-19 tests.
Most of the unvaccinated members are Marines, followed by the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. Air Force members are required to be vaccinated by this week, the Navy and Marines are required to be vaccinated this month and the Army has until Dec. 15.
Air Force Col. Robert Corby, commander of the 28th Medical Group at Ellsworth Air Force Base, said troops have had an array of questions and concerns.
“I think you also have a segment of the population that probably does not feel that they are really at risk for COVID-19,” he added.
Some of the service members who remain unvaccinated may be able to get exemptions for medical, religious or administrative reasons. Unit commanders have the final say on exemption decisions on a case by case basis, according to the Pentagon. For example, commanders can choose not to honor a religious exemption if it puts the unit’s mission at risk.
Brig. Gen. Darrin Cox, surgeon general at Army Forces Command, said commanders want to ensure they are following the rules.
“Because of some of the sensitivities of this particular vaccine, I think that we just wanted to ensure that we were consistent and equitable” in meting out a punishment that would be “a repercussion of continuing to refuse a valid order.”
“Each case is going to be treated specifically and individually as it ought to be,” said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby. He said consequences for the unvaccinated will be handled in a similar manner.
Kirby said this approach will not necessarily lead to uniformity across the board.
“We wouldn’t want to promise that because it wouldn’t be the same way we handle the orders violations for other offenses as well,” he said.
According to the AP, it’s unclear how widely religious exemptions will be granted.
Previously, Kirby said that the number of exemptions for vaccines of any sort is typically low. Indeed, Air Force Capt. Molly Lawlor, 28th Bomb Wing chaplain, said a “very small percentage” are seeking a religious exemption at her base.
In addition to service members, more than 765,000 Defense Department civilians are required to get vaccinated by Nov. 22 and have until Nov. 8 to seek an exemption. As of last week, fewer than half had provided vaccination proof, the AP said.
Civilians who refuse to get vaccines will first get five days of counseling. If they continue to refuse, they will be suspended for 14 days without pay. If they still refuse after the suspension, they could be fired.
Air Guard members must be vaccinated by December and 87 percent have already received one shot. Army National Guard members have until June to get vaccinated and a little more than half have received at least one shot. Close to 67 percent of Americans had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Oct. 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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