Congress to require DOD to review troops removed over COVID-19 vaccine rule

The Defense Department rescinded its COVID-19 vaccine mandate earlier this year.

• It initially implemented the requirement to help protect troops against the virus and, therefore, maintain the country's military readiness.
• However, some conservatives argued that it was unfair to force troops to decide between getting the coronavirus vaccine or potentially being expelled.

By the numbers: More than 7,000 troops left the armed services over the coronavirus vaccine mandate, according to the most recent data from the Army, Navy and Marines.

• The Air Force did not disclose how many air personnel left over the requirement.

The big picture: The coronavirus vaccine was just one of several vaccines required by the Pentagon, as outlined in the "Joint Regulation on Immunization and Chemoprophylaxis for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases."

• Almost 100 members of the military died from the virus, while more than 2,700 were hospitalized, according to data from the Pentagon.

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