Supreme Court Sides With Pentagon Over COVID-19 Vaccination Status in Navy SEALs Deployment

A member of the Navy receives a COVID-19 vaccine at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea, on Dec. 29, 2020. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Erin Conway

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Pentagon on March 25, temporarily granting the department’s request to let U.S. Navy commanders consider COVID-19 vaccination status when deciding whether to deploy Navy SEALs or other Navy Special Warfare personnel.

The 6–3 ruling overturns a district court order in January, and is in place until ongoing litigation is resolved in other lower courts.