Vaccine refusals in intelligence agencies raise GOP concerns

By NOMAAN MERCHANT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of intelligence officers could soon face dismissal for failing to comply with the U.S. government’s vaccine mandate, leading to concerns from Republican lawmakers about potentially hurting agencies considered critical to national security. While the percentage of intelligence personnel who have been vaccinated is higher than for the American public, with 97% at the CIA, for instance, there are lower percentages in some of the 18-agency intelligence community of approximately 100,000 people. That’s according to U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who says he’s vaccinated but opposes mandates as counterproductive. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines says she doesn’t anticipate the mandate affecting the mission of national security agencies.