Five Percent of Marine Corps Not Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19

January 21, 2022 5:43 PM
U.S. Marines stationed on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, receive their COVID-19 vaccination on MCAS Yuma, Ariz., Feb. 16, 2021. U.S. Marine Corps Photo

Five percent of the Marine Corps is still not fully vaccinated nearly two months after the deadline passed for active-duty Marines.

As of Jan. 20, 95 percent of Marines are fully vaccinated, according to the service’s weekly COVID-19 update. The percentage goes up to 96 percent when partially vaccinated Marines are included.

For the reserve, which had a Dec. 28 deadline, 87 percent are fully vaccinated. With partially vaccinated reservists included, 88 percent of the reserve is vaccinated.

The Marine Corps has adjudicated 3,293 requests out of the total 3,376 religious exemption requests. Only two have been approved.

The service approved 635 medical or administrative exemptions in addition to the approved religious ones.

So far, 334 Marines have been separated for continued refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The number is down from last week’s update, which the Marines attribute to a counting error. The service counted both Marines who had not yet been separated as well as those separated for other reasons in the weekly total, according to the update.

Heather Mongilio

Heather Mongilio

Heather Mongilio is a reporter with USNI News. She has a master’s degree in science journalism and has covered local courts, crime, health, military affairs and the Naval Academy.
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