The Navy issued a directive to all personnel that they must be fully vaccinated by November 28th or face immediate discharge out of the service, according to the U.S. Naval Institute’s online news service.
To meet the requirement, sailors will have to have their second dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single Johnson & Johnson version. People are not considered to be fully vaccinated until fourteen days after they receive the final dose. Sailors may also apply for a medical or religious exemption, but must have either been granted the exemption or started the formal request by November 14th.
“Sailors must be prepared to execute their mission at all times, in places throughout the world, including where vaccination rates are low and disease transmission is high,” according to the Navy news release issued today. “Immunizations are of paramount importance to protecting the health of the force and the warfighting readiness of the Fleet.”
As of Wednesday, 94 percent of active-duty sailors have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with 99 percent having received the first dose, according to the Navy.