The first major challenge to the Department of Defense's vaccine policy has been ruled in favor of 35 U.S. Navy Seals who sued the Biden Administration over the military's Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
In this handout image provided by the United States, John London is receiving a vaccine. The first shipment of Moderna's vaccine was received by the USFK, which was chosen by the U.S. government as one of four sites outside the continental U.S. that will receive the initial vaccine. The photo was taken by the United States Forces Korea.
The United States forces in Korea.
The Navy can't disqualify the people for refusing to be vaccined for religious reasons, according to the judge.
The 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act prohibits government bodies from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability.
The Navy has not granted a religious exemption to any vaccine requirement in seven years.
The ruling only applies to 35 people, not the entire military.
The Navy did not reply immediately.
There is no exception to the First Amendment. There is no military exclusion from the constitution.
The key background.
The Department of Defense mandated the Covid-19 vaccine for all military service members in August, as part of a series of vaccine requirements for federal workers, contractors, healthcare personnel and employees of large companies. The Navy said in October it would begin expelling unvaccinated service members if they didn't get their vaccinations by November 28. The Associated Press reported that more than 12,000 military service members were seeking religious exemption from the vaccine.
99.4% of the time. The percentage of active-duty Navy service members that were vaccinations against Covid-19 as of November was stated in the ruling.
There was aContra.
In October, the Navy said that the vaccine mandate is designed to protect its members' safety, and that sailors must be prepared to execute their mission at all times, in places throughout the world.
Several requests to block Covid-19 vaccine mandates for health care workers have been rejected by the Supreme Court.
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