VACCINESCOVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the Military Is a Manageable Challenge
The military has vaccinated the vast majority of service members, but pockets of hesitancy remain. What’s driving the reluctance, and what should be done to overcome it?
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is in the final stages of a largely effective COVID-19 vaccination campaign, but a small percentage of service members are vaccine hesitant. As efforts enter a second year, military planners and policymakers should reflect on the nature of this hesitancy to enhance U.S. military preparedness for future global health emergencies and similar contingencies.
How Has DOD Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination Evolved?
In December 2020, when the first COVID-19 vaccine met the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) criteria for emergency use authorization, the DOD implemented a tier-based vaccination plan. Military health-care professionals, service members responsible for critical national capabilities or preparing for overseas deployments, and medically high-risk individuals were prioritized first. Though the department encouraged all members to get vaccinated, doing so was voluntary until the FDA issued a full approval.
For more than eight months of the campaign, including during the transition between presidential administrations, the DOD’s COVID-19 vaccination policy was the same. In August 2021, however, when the FDA fully approved the first COVID-19 vaccine, the DOD mandated vaccination of all active-duty and Ready Reserve members of the armed forces.
What Are the Vaccination Deadlines?
The DOD authorized all military services—the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Space Force—to execute this order as each deemed appropriate, but directed “ambitious timelines for implementation.” The services then established unique vaccination deadlines for their components, ranging from early November 2021 for active-duty airmen to mid-December for reserve sailors and marines. The only outlier is June 30, 2022, for members of the Army’s Ready Reserve, due to force structure and logistical challenges.
How Is the Vaccination Effort Going?
As of December 2021, more than 97 percent of the nearly 1.4-million-member active-duty force has been vaccinated. Close to half of unvaccinated active-duty service members submitted requests for exemption or accommodation, which are pending. Members can seek medical and administrative exemptions or religious accommodations, but so far only medical and administrative exemptions have been approved by any service.
