Marines COVID-19 Vaccination Separations Surpass 450

February 3, 2022 1:56 PM
A Nurse Corps Officer with Branch Health Clinic on Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, prepares vaccines at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Feb. 2, 2022. US Marine Corps Photo

The Marine Corps separated an additional 70 Marines over the past week due to refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 , bringing the total to 469.

The Marine Corps leads the military branches in the number of separations due to COVID-19 vaccination refusal. The next closest is the Air Force, which has separated 125 active-duty airmen over COVID-19 vaccine refusal, as of Jan. 27, according to its most recent COVID-19 update.

The Navy announced Wednesday that it has separated a total of 118 active-duty sailors due to vaccine refusal.

The Army has just now begun to separate soldiers for failure to follow the lawful order to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to an Army announcement Wednesday.

The Marine Corps is also the only branch to have approved religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine. As of the Thursday update, it had approved three religious exemptions out of the 3,414 requests adjudicated. Another 124 requests are pending.

The service approved 665 medical or administrative exemptions, as well.

Of the active-duty Marines, 95 percent are fully vaccinated, with another 2 percent partially vaccinated. Of the reserve personnel, 87 percent are fully vaccinated, while 1 percent is partially vaccinated.

It has been more than two months since the deadline for active-duty members to get vaccinated, while the deadline for reservists passed more than a month ago.

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.
Follow @hmongilio

Get USNI News updates delivered to your inbox