US Air Force removes 27 service members for refusing COVID-19 vaccine

The US Air Force on Monday (December 13) discharged 27 service members for refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine jab. This move from the Pentagon came months after making it mandatory for all service members to take the vaccine against the coronavirus.

According to Ann Stefanek, spokeswoman for the US Air Force, the troops were given a chance to explain why they refused to get vaccinated, but none of them was handed exemptions. As per data, close to 97% of US Air Force personnel are immunised against Covid-19.

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Last week while laying out its Covid-19 policy, the Air Force had made it clear members of the force who refuse to obey the lawful order to be vaccinated would face disciplinary action. It added that such personnel would be discharged from duty without voluntary separation pay.

So far, 79 uniformed military personnel across the different services in the United States have lost their lives due to the deadly coronavirus.