About 75,500 Marines have received vaccines, including those now fully vaccinated and partially vaccinated, according to service-wide data obtained by the network.
Nearly 48,000 Marines have opted not to receive the vaccines (38.9%). According to CNN, an additional 102,000 Marines have not yet received the vaccines.
The Marines are the first military arm to disclose vaccination coverage. But the military in general has estimated that two-thirds of the military will decide to get the vaccinations – a 66% rate, compared to a 61% acceptance rate so far for the Marines, CNN noted.
It is not clear why vaccinations have been refused. Authorities speculate that some may be waiting for those more at risk of getting the vaccines first, or waiting for availability elsewhere, rather than through the military, CNN said. Other reluctance may be related to safety concerns related to the speed at which the vaccines were developed, or the fear that scientists say they are unfounded about possible long-term effects.
“We fully understand that the wide acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine provides us with the best way to beat the pandemic. The key to tackling the pandemic is building confidence in the vaccine, ”Marine Corps spokeswoman Colonel Kelly Frushour told CNN in a statement.
Marine officials are contacting service representatives to encourage them to receive the vaccine.
“The Navy and Marine Corps provide substantial educational information in general, and work with commandos to ensure that marines, sailors and beneficiaries have accurate information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines to encourage individuals to be immunized” Marine spokesman Captain Andrew Wood said in a statement to The Hill.
The military cannot make vaccines mandatory yet, because the vaccinations have only been authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, and service employees have the option to refuse them.
The Ministry of Defense has approximately 2.2 million military personnel operating around the world. Too low a vaccine acceptance rate can affect force readiness, CNN noted.
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