According to reports nearly 40% of Marines have declined vaccinations for COVID-19. Approximately 75,500 Marines have received vaccines, including those now fully vaccinated and partially vaccinated, according to service-wide data obtained by the network.
The Marines are the first military branch to reveal vaccination rates. The military can’t yet make vaccines mandatory because the vaccinations have only been granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration and service members have the option to decline them.
Officials say most of the vaccine hesitancy stems from concerns about the speed at which the vaccines were developed and fears over long-term effects.
Mellisa Sithole.
