More than 800,000 U.S. military service members are refusing to comply with the Pentagon’s vaccination mandate, according to Pentagon data.
The Pentagon has ordered all active duty military to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
ALSO READ: Are mRNA Vaccines Turning ‘Fully Vaccinated’ People Into Covid Factories?
The order came down after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to Pfizer BioNTech’s Covid-19 mRNA vaccine on Monday, Aug. 23.
More than 800,000 active duty service members (out of 1.4 million) face court martial if they don’t roll up their sleeves.
Of the active duty forces, 68 percent are fully vaccinated and 76 percent have received at least one dose.
The Army has the lowest vaccination rate: 40% are fully vaccinated and 57% have at least one dose. The Navy has the highest vaccination rate (73% and 79%).
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered commanders to impose timelines for the stragglers to get their shots.
“To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force,” Austin said in a memo.
“After careful consultation with medical experts and military leadership, and with the support of the President, I have determined that mandatory vaccination against coronavirus disease… is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people.”
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said service members who refuse vaccinations can apply for religious or medical exemptions. But if those are denied, they can sit down with a military physician and their commanders to discuss the “risks” involved if they continue to refuse.
Kirby said the vaccine mandate is a “lawful order”, and the soldiers face court martial if they refuse.
