Army: 98% of active duty got COVID-19 vaccine by deadline

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army says 98% of its active duty force had gotten at least one dose of the mandatory coronavirus vaccine as of this week’s deadline for the shots.

But the Army also said Thursday more than 3,800 soldiers flatly refused and could start being removed from the military next month. The Army has more than 478,000 active duty soldiers and had the last vaccine deadline among the services for their active duty troops — Wednesday.

The Army scored the second highest rate for those who have gotten at least one shot, 97.9%. The Navy leads with more than 98%. The Air Force is at 97.5%. The Marine Corps is at 95%.