US Troops Who Refused COVID-19 Vaccine Could Still Face Punishment, Defense Officials Say

A hospital corpsman administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a fellow corpsman at Naval Health Clinic Hawaii on Dec. 16, 2020. Naval Health Clinic Hawaii

U.S. military service members who declined the COVID-19 vaccine and didn’t request a religious, medical, or administrative exemption could still face punishment, Undersecretary of Defense Gilbert Cisneros Jr. said during a House Armed Services personnel subcommittee hearing on Feb. 28.

While the military officially rescinded the mandate in January, officials of the military branches continue to review those cases.