Navy to clear records for some sailors who refused COVID-19 vaccine

The Navy will clear records for sailors who refused the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious objections, according to a lawsuit settlement reached between the service and sailors last week.

The settlement, which comes nearly three years after the original filing of the lawsuit and was finalized Thursday, states that the Navy will correct records for sailors who declined the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious reasons, according to First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty legal organization that first sued in November 2021 on behalf of dozens of Navy SEALs and special forces members who refused the vaccine.

It was later expanded to a class-action lawsuit representing thousands of sailors.

Nearly 2,000 sailors were separated for refusing the vaccine, the Navy said last year.