Practically 9,000 Marines haven’t gotten any COVID-19 vaccination photographs with most not submitting for an exemption regardless of a Nov. 28 obligatory deadline, in response to statistics offered by the Marine Corps. With out an excuse many are actually in jeopardy of being booted from the service.
The Marine Corps reported Monday that 5% of the drive had not gotten even one shot earlier than the deadline handed. That might imply round 9,000 Marines are utterly unvaccinated.
About 1,300 have momentary exemptions from the vaccine, or pending non secular exemption requests, which means the vast majority of the unvaccinated Marines who have not gotten any photographs seem like prone to being dismissed from the service. Further Marines who’re solely partially vaccinated may be in danger.
Capt. Andrew Wooden, a Marine Corps spokesman, stated that in response to medical monitoring software program, the Marines have about 9,500 service members who are usually not totally vaccinated, a determine that would come with these with exemptions and those that are solely partially vaccinated.
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A whole lot extra can also have had a lately expired exemption or been vaccinated however not but entered into the service’s monitoring system, in response to the Marine Corps.
A significant level of dialog all through the mandate in all of the branches was the chance of non secular exemptions from the vaccine. The Marine Corps stated in a press launch issued Nov. 29 that, to this point, there have been 2,441 requests for non secular lodging over the mandate out of a drive of virtually 180,000.
“At the moment, 1,902 have been processed and nil requests have been authorised,” the assertion learn.
Some Marines have acquired different exemptions, although. The assertion famous that 316 Marines have been given momentary medical exemptions and 452 have been granted a brief administrative exemption. The latter are sometimes granted for service members who plan to get out of the army within the subsequent 180 days.
Fourteen service members have been granted a everlasting medical exemption.
The Marines have stated unequivocally that any service member who refused the vaccine can be discharged. The assertion launched on Nov. 29 didn’t provide particulars about how swiftly that course of will proceed.
Wooden stated to date zero Marines have been separated utilizing a vaccine refusal discharge code. The Corps additionally didn’t say what is going to occur to Marines who’ve just one shot — technically lacking the deadline that required them to have their second dose no later than Nov. 14.
The service lagged behind the opposite army branches in vaccinating its members by as a lot as 30 proportion factors earlier this yr.
Against this, the Air Power, whose deadline was Nov. 2, obtained 96.6% of airmen and House Power guardians to get each photographs. One other .5% had been partially vaccinated. In the meantime, the Navy, whose deadline was additionally Nov. 2, final reported 97% of active-duty sailors had been totally immunized and 99.8% acquired no less than one dose on Nov. 24.
Earlier this month, the Navy stated it has not granted any non secular exemptions and solely 5 everlasting medical exemptions.
“I’ve nice appreciation for all those that made these vaccinations potential, together with the civilian and Navy medical personnel who labored tirelessly over the previous months to guard our Marines and households,” Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger stated in a press release.
Marines within the reserves have till Dec. 28 to fulfill the deadline. The department stated 79% of the Marine Corps Reserve had acquired no less than one dose of the vaccine.
— Konstantin Toropin may be reached at konstantin.toropin@army.com. Comply with him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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