December 30, 2021

Nearly one in three Indiana Army National Guard troops are unvaccinated

Members of the National Guard receive instructions ahead of their deployments to Indiana nursing homes last fall.  - (Brock E.W. Turner, WTIU/WFIU News)

Members of the National Guard receive instructions ahead of their deployments to Indiana nursing homes last fall.

(Brock E.W. Turner, WTIU/WFIU News)

While the vast majority of soldiers are already vaccinated against COVID-19, the situation is different for some of the Indiana’s approximately 11,500 Army National Guard soldiers. 

Nearly one in three Indiana Army National Guard troops are unvaccinated, according to a statement from the guard.

A federal mandate instructs Army national guardsmen and women to be vaccinated by June 30, 2022. Currently 63 percent of those soldiers are fully vaccinated.

Read: National Guard support teams can stay longer as COVID-19 surge cripples hospitals

In a statement, the Guard said the health and well-being of service members are of “paramount importance.” The guard said ensuring soldiers are vaccinated is “a matter of readiness.”

As for the state’s Air National Guard troops—who were required to be inoculated on Dec. 2—more than 98 percent are fully vaccinated according to a statement.

That falls in line with national numbers released last week.

Both are well above the state average of 54 percent.

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