US Marines on track for ‘worst COVID-19 vaccination record’ followed by Air Force

Thousands of active-duty Marines will not be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 by November 28 deadline, becoming the US military’s division with the “worst immunisation rate.” As the COVID-19 cases are increasing in the US, and the trajectory is expected to go upwards, nearly 12,572 troops of the Marines corps will not be fully inoculated while it would have been too late to begin vaccination regimen even if they administered the first shot. 

According to the data released by the US Department of Defense on Nov. 21, the unvaccinated Marine will join approximately 60,569 Air Force personnel who are not fully inoculated and at least  9,600 personnel that have either denied the jabs due to hesitancy, did not report their status or sought an exemption on medical or religious grounds, the US Department of Defense reported. 

"Marines know they're an expeditionary force, and pride themselves on discipline and being first to fight," David Lapan, a retired Marine Corps officer and former communications chief for the service told WaPo.

Leadership, he went on to add, “should be alarmed that the Marine Corps ethos of always being ready for the next mission appears to be tarnished in this case. Why did they decide not to follow a direct order?” he questioned. 

COVID-19 jabs will 'save lives', allow for 'defense of our Nation': US DoD stressed

Pentagon had mandated the COVID-19 vaccination for everyone in the US Defense Department and the military services, who, it said, must be "fully vaccinated" against COVID-19 by Nov. 28, under the new guidelines. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks signed the memo in line with the presidential directive requiring all the federal agencies to mandate the vaccine requirements, stressing that it will "save lives and allow for the defense of our Nation."

Military service members were required to get their first FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine by Oct. 18, and Moderna's first dose latest by Oct. 11. Those service members that chose to get jabbed with a one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine were asked to be vaccinated by Nov. 8, according to the Associated Press. US Department of Defense announced that it would consider troops "fully vaccinated" only two weeks after their second shot. 

Earlier, US military General Mark Milley asserted that the medical authorities recommended the vaccination in order to save lives and that having the COVID-19 vaccine administered "is critical to keeping the military ready to defend the country". In the memo, Milley also wrote a handwritten note that read, "Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a key force protection and readiness issue."