Why are so many service members refusing to receive the COVID vaccine?

My Soldier stated that as long as it's voluntary, he doesn't want the shot. He is going to wait until it's mandatory. He did state that he will not refuse once it becomes mandatory. Meh. It is what it is. The problem is that way too many folks are buying into the mass hysteria hype and paranoia that is the media. My Commander asked me if I would volunteer for it. Figuring that it's just one more vaccination, meh....why not. After Anthrax, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Smallpox...what is the Covid vaccination gonna do to me?

I haven't seen any service members refuse the vaccine. Most service members aren't even authorized to receive it yet because they're too low on the priority. My wife is a high priority person in base and received hers last week and she said they were turning people away all day.

I remember the same thing happened during H1N1. People freaked out because the vaccine was fast tracked. There's a misconception that it takes almost a year to develop a vaccine. Nothing is further from the truth. The first COVID vaccine was developed even before the first person in the US died. Vaccines are so easy to develop now that biohackers can make them in their garage. What takes a long time is the safety testing that goes into proving that it's safe in the long term. The new vaccines are still experimental and I think that scares a lot of people

Like anything, people need to evaluate with risks and benefits. I work in a COVID ICU and took it first chance I got. If I did not, I might wait a few weeks to see if anything big had been reported. Nothing has and had I not received the first dose last month, I would be doing so now.

As a reservist I'm just waiting to get my LHI appointment so I can get PAID and a retirement point out of it. Otherwise, why do it on my own time?

I trust that's what is eventually going to be needed to start in person battle assemblies again. Everyone in formation has to have CV19 Vaccine or they are sent home.

We experienced something similar when the mandatory DNA swabs came along early 90s. At least one Marine in Hawaii refused and got the axe.

I can't speak for others as to why they chose to receive or avoid the vaccine if available to them. What I CAN say, as a Paramedic dealing with the virus on a daily basis I couldn't wait to roll up my sleeve for it! I had the first dose on 23Dec2020. So far, the only side effect I've noticed was a sore arm similar to what I experienced after a Typhoid vaccination. I'm supposed to receive the 2nd dose on the 20th. I'll try to post updates (as I did with the initial dose) to help others make an informed decision.

I think some folks are just punchy considering negative reactions to mandatory vaccines and other meds that were fast tracked in the past. Anthrax comes to mind and so does the nasal flu vaccine. Both were known to have issues and they still pushed them out. Same with mefloquine. Major negative results but it was still used for a time. I'm not saying COVID19 vaccines have negative results or the same negative results but I can understand how some Service Members would be anxious about it.

I can only speak for Florida, my current state of residence. We aren’t authorized to get the vaccine yet, let alone deny it. The vaccine is pushed through phases based off of certain criteria like medical employees, senior citizens and so on. We aren’t authorized to get it yet.

By "refused" I think you mean "didn't volunteer"

Honestly it boils down to miss information an peer pressure. There could be the medical concern behind it given service members were used as test subjects in the past. It could be political for some as well. Many reasons I would suppose.

Think of it like a flu shot. It will reduce the likelihood of catching it in some circumstances and if not it may or may not reduce the severity.

I’m in multiple demographic groups and got the two shot series, one booster. The second shot gave me permanent side effects. Also collapsed while at the VA and ended up hospitalized for 5 days. So, I do understand the reluctance of many to get the shot.

It did prevent me from catching Covid several times already.

Could it be the unpublished side effects? When I received the second Moderna shot, I ended up hospitalized for 5 days. That shot caused orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure). Think BP 70’s/30’s. Couldn't stand up without assistance., couldn’t function. Others have had similar experiences. I had a team of doctors and including a doctor of pharmacology trying to figure out a cause. Med manipulation, physical issues that I have had for years provided no relief or explanations. The only activity different was receiving that second shot. They discharged me still having low blood pressure and two years later I still have daily episodes of blood pressure drops routinely in the 80’s over 40’s.

Speaking as someone who knows what it means to be on the short end of the 5 (or whatever) percent who have an extremely adverse reaction to some prescribed medication (e.g. severe hallucinations induced by a fluoroquinolone antibiotic), I don't consider getting vaccinated to be as much of a "no-brainer" as the public-health experts (and news media) make it out to be.
If you pay attention, the public-health experts, and the regulatory agencies, have gone from "prove no harm" bias to presuming that the vaccines are safe except where demonstrated otherwise. Hence we get admonitions from the CDC or FDA for people who have a history of allergic reactions to any of the vaccines' ingredients to decide carefully -- minus any specific information about what those ingredients are. That's a subtle, but potentially very significant, shift in bias.
Then there are the still-unanswered questions of how to weigh presumed but unknown long-term efficacy against the equally unknown risk of long-term (or even slightly delayed) adverse effects.
All of which has me not saying "Hell no!", but also not at all inclined to push my way to the head of the line. Call me selfish, but I'm perfectly comfortable letting millions of all you more-eager folks play guinea pig before I roll up my sleeve.

I got my first dose this morning but I'm a member of the old folks club. So far no problems. I did take a Tylenol when I got back home.

My understanding is that no Service member in uniform can refuse any vaccination without repercussions' In other words if you are done with being in you will be assisted out if you refuse. The military does not have a sterling reputation with vaccines as shown in history. If given the choice to decline I would but I am retired and I won't be volunteering for the VA to test on me. My understanding that almost all military age folks are not in the danger zone with this flu and a great deal of the fear mongering going on is not helping.

I quit even taking flu shots way back in 1971 or so. The reason is simply because they don't know diddly about viral infections and are just guessing. I never signed up to be a lab rat for anyone. Despite the billions of dollars of economic loss due to common colds each year, they're still around today. If they could cure colds colds, then they might know something but until they can do that, they're just guessing.

You did the right thing, but you don't get a cookie.

Active duty, reserve and guard are required to be vaccinated. Those fools that do not should receive a bad conduct discharge; period. This is a mandate, therefore it is not open for discussion

I refused but honestly if I could refuse any of the shots I would. I never got sick until I joined the army. I never needed shots because of how I took care of myself. Even a room full of sick people. I just don’t think I need to be forced into something that is not necessary for me. My family is the same way never sick.