Hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members remain unvaccinated against COVID ...

Hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members remain unvaccinated against COVID ...
Hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members remain unvaccinated against COVID ...

Hundreds of thousands of United States servicemembers remain unvaccinated or are only partially vaccinated against the coronavirus, as the deadline to have the shot draws closer. 

The vaccination rates vary between military branches, according to data obtained by the Washington Post, with 98 percent of the active duty Navy fully vaccinated.

There are almost 340,000 such personnel, with the two per cent who haven't been jabbed representing close to 7,000 people.  

Meanwhile, just 72 percent of the 181,000 active Marine Corps personnel have been vaccinated - meaning close to 51,000 have yet to have the jab. 

Both branches have to be fully vaccinated by November 28, under the Defense Department's August mandate.

Figures show that 81 percent of Army members are fully vaccinated. That branch of the military has 485,000 members, with the 19 per cent who remain unvaccinated representing well over 95,000 personnel.

And more than 60,000 people in the Air Force have just three weeks to meet their deadline to be fully vaccinated.

The rate, though, is worse for members of the Army National Guard and Army Reserves - which have until June to meet the vaccination requirement. 

Military officials said the rates have varied due to the staggering deadlines, and have expressed hope that the vaccination rates will increase as the deadlines near.

Hundreds of thousands of service members remain unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated despite deadlines to do so. Here, Sergeant First Class Demetrius Roberson administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a soldier on September 9, 2021 in Fort Knox, Kentucky

Hundreds of thousands of service members remain unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated despite deadlines to do so. Here, Sergeant First Class Demetrius Roberson administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a soldier on September 9, 2021 in Fort Knox, Kentucky

Since the pandemic began, about a quarter million service members have been infected with the virus, and more than 2,000 were killed, with a large outbreak last year aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt that showed how quickly the virus could spread in close quarters.

The outbreak served as a wake up call when the ship was sidelined for two months after about 1,100 crew members were infected and one soldier died.

In August, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he was seeking President Joe Biden's approval to mandate that all service members get vaccinated against the virus. which the president later approved. 

He said in a statement at the time that he strongly supports Austin’s decision, noting the plan would add the COVID vaccine 'to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September,' according to the Associated Press.

Biden added that country is still on a wartime footing and 'being vaccinated will enable our service members to stay healthy, to better protect their families, and to ensure that our force is ready to operate anywhere in the world.'

Under the plan, all 2.1 million troops would have to be vaccinated against COVID, and exemptions to the rule would be rare.

Those who would refuse a COVID shot would be punished. 

Since then, the Washington Post reports, the military's vaccine rate has greatly increased, with a 292 percent increase in the number of personnel who began a vaccine regimen in the Marine Corps.

The vaccination rates differ amongst military branches

The vaccination rates differ amongst military branches

Still, some remain hesitant, even though military members receive 17

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