More than 800 active-duty Marines, which amounts to less than 1% of the total force, have now been discharged from the service for refusing the coronavirus vaccine.
The Marines announced in their latest update, published Thursday, that 96% of its active-duty service members are fully vaccinated, with an additional percentage of troops having been partially vaccinated, and 873 active-duty members have been discharged for not getting the vaccine.
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With 97% of the 181,000 active-duty Marines having been partially or fully vaccinated, that leaves roughly 5,400 Marines who are unvaccinated. That group consists of service members who have received administrative, medical, or religious exemptions or are awaiting a result for an exemption request — with others still refusing outright.
The Marines have approved 1,067 administrative or medical exemptions and six religious exemptions out of 3,633 such requests. Religious exemptions have been sparse across the armed services.
One sailor in the Individual Ready Reserve had a religious exemption conditionally approved, though he or she will need to get fully vaccinated if called up to active-duty or reserve status, and 17 airmen have been granted religious exemptions, according to the latest data from each branch.
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The Navy has discharged 418 active-duty sailors and one reserve, while the Air Force has discharged 188 airmen for refusing to get the vaccine. The Army, which has not granted any religious exemptions, has said it will begin discharging those refusing to get the vaccine “immediately” but has yet to release figures.
