Navy Says Won’t Deploy Warship While Commander Remains Unvaccinated

A Navy petty officer gives a Marine a COVID-19 vaccine on Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2021. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Andrew Cortez via The Epoch Times

U.S. Navy officials have said they won’t deploy a warship because its commander has refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to court filings.

The service said an East Coast guided-missile destroyer is “out of commission” after a federal judge in Florida ruled that the Navy cannot remove the officer for being unvaccinated against COVID-19.