More than 90% of active-duty Air Force and Space Force officers are at least partially vaccinated, according to the latest data from the department, but that means there are thousands who have yet to receive their first dose.
75.1% of active-duty airmen were fully vaccinated, while another 18.8% had received at least one dose, as of Monday afternoon. A week prior, those vaccination numbers were at 72.1% and 18.4%.
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Active-duty airmen and guardians have until Nov. 2 to get fully vaccinated, while reserves have another month to get the shot. With that deadline roughly five weeks away and the two-dose vaccinations requiring a three-week waiting period, most airmen getting a two-dose vaccination will likely have to get the first dose within the next two weeks to ensure they’re fully vaccinated by the deadline.
At the time the deadline was announced on Sept. 5, 66.5% were fully inoculated from the coronavirus while 8% were partially vaccinated, meaning roughly 20% of active forces have received at least their first shot since then.
There were roughly 325,000 active airmen as of June 30, meaning there are still approximately 20,000 who have yet to receive their first dose.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin mandated vaccinations late last month, shortly after the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine received the Food and Drug Administration’s full authorization.
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The Air Force has the earliest deadline to get the vaccine among the service branches. Active-duty Navy sailors and Marines have to be vaccinated by Nov. 28, while active-duty members of the Army will have to be vaccinated by Dec. 15.
A soldier may be exempt from taking the COVID-19 jab for medical or religious reasons, though service members who do not qualify for the exemption could face disciplinary action.
