Nearly 8,500 active duty members of the Air Force and Space Force have missed the deadline for getting COVID-19 vaccinations, but roughly 97% of Airmen and Guardians on active duty have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Air Force said in a statement.
Of that number, 800 refused the vaccine, nearly 5,000 have pending requests for a religious exemption and another 2,700 have yet not started the vaccination course, the Air Force said Wednesday. The branch has approved 1,634 medical exemptions and 232 administrative exemptions so far, but no religious exemptions yet.
The Air Force said it will complete its review of requests for medical and religious exemptions over the next 30 days.
The Air Force reports that 95.9% of active duty members are fully vaccinated, with 1% partially vaccinated.
“Our Airmen need to be prepared to operate anytime, anywhere in the world,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. “Getting vaccinated ensures we are a ready force to meet our commitments to the nation while protecting the health of our team and families.”
“I am incredibly proud of our Airmen for coming together and getting vaccinated,” Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass said. “This is about readiness and ensuring our Air Force can continue to defend the homeland. It’s also about understanding that we are not in the clear yet. Continuing safe practices to protect ourselves and others should always be in our cross-check.”
The Air Force said that of the 326,000 active duty members of the Air Force and Space Force, 95.9 percent are fully vaccinated and 96.9 percent have gotten at least one shot.
“A vaccinated force is a protected force, better able to deploy and to defend our interests anywhere at any time,” said Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman. “Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is a necessary requirement to keep our people safe and healthy. This is a readiness issue.”
“Thank you to our active-duty Guardians and Airmen for moving out quickly to meet the Department’s vaccine timeline,” Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond. “Although we are encouraged by the falling number of cases, COVID-19 is still a very real threat. We need each and every one of you to be healthy and ready; we need you and your loved ones to be protected so our team can continue to protect and defend the nation.”
Tuesday was the Air Force deadline for all active duty members to receive vaccinations. The Air Force deadline was the first of all the military services, providing an initial glimpse into how America’s military will handle the mandate.
This sets thousands of disciplinary actions in motion and sets the stage for exemption procedures that could drag on for weeks.
The vaccination deadline for the Air Guard and Reserve is Dec. 2.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
