PUBLIC: Nearly 40 percent of Marines choose not to get COVID-19 vaccines because they think they were developed too quickly
- New data released by CNN says 38.9% of Marines refused the vaccine
- This is significantly more than the rate of rejection in the general public, which is about 25%
- Military officials said earlier that reluctance was mostly due to concerns about the rapid development of the vaccines.
- As of Thursday, 20 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated
Nearly 40 percent of Marines, according to new data, do not choose to get COVID-19 vaccines.
CNN reported Saturday that about 75,000 Marines had one or two doses of vaccine, and 48,000 refused – a rejection rate of 38.9 percent.
This is significantly higher than the rejection rate among the general public, which according to a recent poll by the NPR is about 25 percent.
As of Thursday, nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated.
The Marines say there are a number of reasons why they do not want to get the vaccines, but they will not determine one.
Officials had earlier said the widespread hesitation among the military was due to the speed with which the vaccines were being developed and a fear of long-term side effects.
CNN reported on Saturday that 75,500 Marines received vaccines, but 48,000 (38.9 percent) chose not to do so
‘We fully understand that widespread acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine offers us the best way to defeat the pandemic. The key to tackling the pandemic is building confidence in vaccines.
“Service members who retire one day may change their minds and be vaccinated when the opportunity arises,” said Marine Corps spokesman Col. Kelly Frushour, said.
One of the highest rejection rates was in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where 57 percent refused the shot.
Since all the shots are approved by the FDA only, the government cannot enforce them.
Three vaccines have been approved in the US; Pfizer, Modern and Johnson and Johnson.
The general public was generally enthusiastic, but there is more hesitation in certain communities.
A recent NPR poll found that one in four Americans would not get a vaccine if they were offered it.
Republican men are one of the most reluctant, according to CBS. They think it’s unnecessary.
Others trust the media and think there are long-term side effects that are not reported.
It plays into the wider gap between Americans that has existed since the pandemic began.
In general, Democratic cities, states, leaders, and voters took more extreme precautions and were more afraid of the virus.
Republican leaders did not apply restrictions that were so strict.