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The Pentagon on Tuesday released guidelines on how service members can request a religious exemption instead of receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
By mid-September, all active military forces will have to get shots in the arms to counter the coronavirus as cases are increasing again across the country.
DEFENSE SECRETARY FOR RESPONSIBLE COVID VACCINATION FOR US MILITARY UNTIL SEPT. fifteen
“There is a religious exemption option for every mandatory vaccine, and we are going through a process to advise the person on the use of a religious exemption from both a medical and commanding point of view,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Tuesday.
Kirby said military personnel wishing to apply for an exemption must be advised by a doctor and a commanding officer about the risks of not receiving the vaccine.
In addition, they will discuss how the decision could affect their ability to work, travel or even deployments – although the application processes are different in each branch.
“We take religious and religious freedom seriously, in the military it’s one of the things we stand up for,” said Kirby. “And so it is something that is done very carefully.”
Exceptions for pre-existing illnesses are also permitted, although these will be determined by a doctor.
Kirby also said any service agent who hesitates about receiving the vaccine will be advised about its safety and effectiveness.
“We assume that once the vaccines are mandatory, the troops will do the right thing,” he said. “For this particular vaccine, the Secretary expects that commanders will treat the administration of this vaccine with professionalism, skill and compassion, as he wrote in his memo.”
Kirby’s comments come just a day after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin officially announced that all soldiers who have not yet been vaccinated must receive either the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine by September 15.
Austin said mandatory vaccinations could be enforced earlier if the Food and Drug Administration approved one of the vaccines before mid-September.
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More than 74 percent of Navy soldiers have received the vaccine. But other industries are lagging behind.
The Air Force has reported a vaccination rate of 65 percent, while the Army reports that 50 percent of their soldiers received at least one shot in the arm.
Ronn Blitzer, Lucas Y. Tomlinson contributed to this report.
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