The Canadian Armed Forces says more than three-quarters of the more than 1,300 soldiers who have applied for exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement have been rejected. The Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, Lieutenant General. Frances Allen revealed the number during her deposition in a parliamentary committee this week, in which she also bypassed questions about what would happen to these troops if the vaccine requirement was lifted. The Chief of Staff, General Wayne Eyre, ordered all military personnel to be fully vaccinated by mid-October to protect the Canadian Armed Forces from COVID-19. The deadline was later extended to mid-December. While most members of the military complied with the order, with the Department of Defense reporting that more than 98 percent of Canadian troops had chosen to be vaccinated, hundreds did not. Allen told the House of Commons defense committee that of the more than 1,300 members of the Armed Forces who applied for exemption from the requirement for medical or religious reasons, only 158 had their requests approved. Of the remaining requests, Allen said 980 had been rejected and another 160 were still pending. Despite the large number of denials, only a few soldiers have been forced to hang up their uniforms to date. The Ministry of Defense last week reported that 39 members of the Armed Forces had been inadvertently released since December, although another 206 are in the process of being forcibly removed from the army. Ninety-four full-time members had voluntarily hung up their uniforms instead of being vaccinated, the department added. The number of part-time reserves who chose to leave – or are in danger of being expelled – was not available. Senior commanders have also provided numerous warnings, counseling sessions and other efforts to persuade vaccine-resistant troops to change their minds and put in their piercings. The Department of Defense said nearly 1,000 soldiers had been issued warnings since December, and formal reviews had begun against 445 members who continue to defy the vaccination order after other remedies were exhausted. Allen revealed the details as members of the Conservative committee looked for her, who also asked what would happen to the troops who were forced to take off their uniforms if or when the vaccine requirement was lifted. “Vaccination is a prerequisite … for joining the Canadian Armed Forces,” Allen said in response to a question from Conservative MP Ed Fast. “That’s the requirement right now, unless they can be vaccinated.” Military officials also revealed that there is a shortage of about 7,500 new recruits at the moment, exacerbating the growing shortage of Canadian military personnel as the Armed Forces are called upon to respond to numerous crises at home and abroad. This Canadian Press report was first published on April 28, 2022.
