As many as 19,000 active-duty Marines and Navy sailors chose not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by their shared Nov. 28 deadline, a dilemma for military leaders who have threatened to expel personnel refusing to comply with Biden's mandate
Editors note: This story was updated to specify that Marine Corps policy allows for pregnant people to seek a temporary exemption from coronavirus vaccination requirements when a doctor determines that receiving the shots is not advised. Generally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Marine Corps encourage vaccination for those who are pregnant.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
Individuals avoiding the vaccine "may have a deleterious effect on a unit as a whole," Lapan said, pointing to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which last year was forced to go completely offline when hundreds of sailors became infected while the aircraft carrier and its crew were deployed in the Pacific.
Capt. Andrew Wood, a Marine Corps spokesperson, said the service had granted nearly 800 temporary exemptions, some of which are medical waivers given when vaccines are not currently recommended - like when a doctor determines it's not advised for a pregnant person or for those with existing infections - and just 14 permanent medical exemptions.
Officials are optimistic that, even though thousands missed their deadlines to be immunized, compliance numbers will improve as waiver requests are denied - forcing the hands of those who had hoped to avoid the vaccine but ultimately are unwilling to sacrifice their military careers. Some leaders have expressed confidence that the vaccine refusers are well distributed and not concentrated in one community or another, like pilots or engineers. If true, that would lessen the severity of their losses, said a Navy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the service's ongoing evaluation.
A senior commander, typically a one-star general, will decide who is separated or retained, Wood said, noting that senior officials recognize the reality the service needs experienced, trained Marines ready to deploy at any moment. The deadline has not ended the push to get more vaccinations, he said.While the Navy showed potential to achieve the highest vaccination rate in the military, including reports last week of reaching 99.
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