Photo: Adobe Stock
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily halted the dismissal of Air Force members who refuse to take the Covid-19 vaccine, according to a report from Just the News.
The military’s Covid vaccine mandate has been controversial, and many servicemembers across several branches have lost their jobs in the armed forces due to their hesitancy to take it.
The ruling will affect those serving in the Air Force, which includes the Space Force, Reservists, National Guardsmen, and Cadets.
According to Just the News, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ruled that the Air Force cannot mandate the vaccine for those with religious objections.
This court’s move followed a temporary halt to dismissing Airmen for refusing the Covid shot in the Cincinnati U.S. District Court. Fox News reported that the lawsuit began with several dozen plaintiffs from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The vaccine mandates for the military have caused quite a stir across the country. President Donald Trump even chimed in on the situation during remarks made at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit last week.
“We have to abolish all Covid mandates and lockdowns,” he said, “[and] rehire every patriot who was shamefully fired from the military…we have to give them an apology and all of their back pay.”
In early July, the U.S. Army announced that approximately 40,000 National Guardsmen and 22,000 Reservists would be prohibited from participating in service to their country because they refused to receive the Covid vaccine, according to a report from the New York Post.
Just the News reported that U.S. Airmen who religiously object to receiving the vaccine could not be forced to receive the Covid shot pending the resolution of a full trial of the case (Doster v. Kendall).
