Vaccines, religious freedom and the military

Military regulations guarantee religious freedom, but the Pentagon defies them. More than 24,000 members of all branches have submitted religious accommodation requests following Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s vaccination order in August 2021. Almost all have been denied. These troops now face punishment and dismissal.

Many religious personnel are Christians who oppose the use of abortion-derived cell lines to develop or test medical products. This prevents them from taking any of the four Covid-19 vaccines the Food and Drug Administration has authorized so far.