FILE PHOTO: Insignia of Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Divsision.
Scott Detrow/WITF
Army Guard troops risk dismissal as vaccine deadline looms
By Lolita C. Baldor/AP
Scott Detrow/WITF
FILE PHOTO: Insignia of Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Divsision.
(Washington) — Up to 40,000 Army National Guard soldiers haven’t yet gotten the mandated COVID-19 vaccine.
That’s about 13% of the force.
And as the deadline for shots nears, at least 14,000 of them have flatly refused and could be forced out of the service.
Guard soldiers have until this coming Thursday to get the vaccine.
Data obtained by The Associated Press shows that between 20% to 30% of the Guard soldiers in six states aren’t vaccinated and more than 10% in 43 other states still need shots.
Guard leaders say states are doing all they can to encourage soldiers to get vaccinated by the time limit.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
