Despite the Pentagon’s assertion that the COVID-19 vaccine will help with military readiness, attorney Anthony Kuhn acknowledges that there will be service members who do not want to receive the vaccine and will have to face a new reality.
“If somebody does not want to take the vaccination, the first thing that I would say is maintain your military bearing and make sure that you stay composed when dealing with this issue. There are other options as there is potential for a federal court challenge which we can expect to happen in the near future. For current service members, there are waivers available that could potentially be obtained, just as we do for the flu and other illnesses vaccines. For an individual who is not vaccinated and refuses to get the vaccine, those individuals could face a number of disciplinary actions such as an administrative separation with an honorable discharge or all the way up to a court martial.”
