Marines Deny 96 Percent of COVID Vaccine Religious Exemptions, Discharge 169 Members

The U.S. Marine Corps is aggressively pushing back against resistance to the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate amid a steep surge in cases since the Omicron variant emerged in the U.S. The service has discharged 169 Marines total for refusing vaccination and rejected more than 96 percent of religious exemption requests as of Thursday. Though the vaccination rate among individuals in the Marine Corps, where 95 percent are at least partially vaccinated, is higher than the national average, it has the lowest percentage among the various military branches. In the Army, Navy and Air Force, nearly or more than 98 percent of members have received at least one vaccine dose. With the Omicron variant now spreading quickly in the U.S., the service views inoculating members as even more crucial and has been cracking down on resistance more aggresively than its counterparts. "The speed with which the disease transmits among individuals has increased risk to our Marines and the Marine Corps' mission," the Marine Corps said in a statement. The Marine Corps discharged 66 Marines in the past week, bringing the total number of members ousted because of the shot to 169. As of Thursday, it has also processed more than 96 percent of religious exemption requests, or 3,080 of the 3,192 received, and has turned down all of them. It was not immediately clear if the remaining religious requests will also be rejected when processed.

The rise in infections has hit close to the Defense Department's No. 2 leader. The Pentagon announced Thursday that seven staff members who traveled with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks last week to Hawaii, California and Nebraska have tested positive for the virus. Hicks and members of her personal staff have so far tested negative. Hicks' trip included stops at U.S. Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego and U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, Nebraska. She also visited the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii and met with families who have been affected by fuel contamination in drinking water at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The department said the tests showing the positive results were taken at the conclusion of the trip and that contact tracing is now going on at all the bases, hotels and other facilities Hicks visited.

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The United States is seeing an average of 149,000 infections a day, as Omicron appears to spread up to three times faster than the Delta variant. Officials say the vaccines, particularly with boosters, beef up protections against more severe illnesses. And the Pentagon has ordered all service members—active duty, National Guard and Reserves—to get the vaccine, saying it is critical to maintaining the health and readiness of the force. Already this week, the Pentagon said 1,000 active duty troops will be deployed to states to help shore up beleaguered health care workers. The Associated Press contributed to this report.