Dec. 29 (UPI) — More than 3,000 members of the Navy Reserve missed this week’s deadline to be vaccinated against the COVID-19, the military branch announced Wednesday.
The Navy said 3,002 Ready Reserve sailors were listed as unvaccinated Wednesday, the Navy Times reported. The sailors had until Tuesday to be fully vaccinated.
That’s in addition to 5,328 active-duty sailors — less than 2% — who are also unvaccinated, USNI News reported.
Many of the unvaccinated service members are awaiting a decision on their exemption request on religious or medical grounds. The Navy granted medical exemptions to eight active-duty service members and none for reservists, USNI reported.
The Navy set a deadline of Nov. 28 for all active-duty personnel to get fully vaccinated. The military began discharging sailors who refused the vaccine earlier this month.
The U.S. military announced last week that about 98% of active Army service members and 95% of Marines were fully vaccinated. The Marines have discharged 103 service members for refusing the vaccine.
The Defense Department, meanwhile, told managers Monday to “strongly encourage” workers to go to maximum telework through the end of January in response to rising COVID-19 numbers.
